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PRACTICAL ENGLISH 



FOR 



INTERMEDIATE AND HIGH SCHOOLS 



AND 



Teachers' Institutes. 



Paet I Pronunciation. Part IV. Etymology. 
Part II. Spelling. Paet V. Syntax. 

Pabt III. Lexicology. Paet VI. Composition. 

Past VII. Literature. 



By E. R. BOOTH, A.B., 

PBINOIPAI, TBCHNICAI. SCHOOL, CINCINNATI, OHIO. 



CHICAGO: 

A. FLANAGAN, PUBLISHER 

1890. 




3^ 



Copyrighted, 1889, 

BT 

A. Flanagan. 



PKACTICAL ENGLISH. 



To master the intricacies of the English, is to go, in point of reasoning 
power, beyond either Latin or Greek; for the English sentence is constructed 
upon the basis of logic; the Greek and Latin, upon the basis of verbal 
forms.— Welsh. 

I may avow, as the result of my reading and observation in the matter 
of education, that I recognize but one mental acquisition as an essential 
part of a lady or a gentleman — namely, an accurate and a refined use of the 
mother-tongue. — Pres. Eliot, of Harvard. 

The wise and learned nations among the ancients made it a part of 
education to cultivate their own, not foreign languages. The Greeks 
counted all other nations barbarous, and had a contempt for their languages. 
. . . . The Roman t »ngue was made the study of their [the Roman] 
youth ; their own language they were to make use of, and therefore it was 
their own language the}' were instructed and exercised in. — John Locke. 

That the leading object, of the study of English grammar is to teach 
the correct use of English is, in my view, an error, and one which is grad- 
ually becoming removed, giving way to the sounder opinion that grammar 
is the reflective study of language, for a variety of purposes, of which 
correctness in writing is only one, and a secondary or subordinate one — by 
no means unimportant, but best attained when sought indirectly. — Whitney. 

A man who thinks the knowledge of Latin essential to the purity of 
English diction, either has never conversed with an accomplished woman, 
or does not deserve to converse with her. We are sure that all persons who 
are in the habit of hearing public speaking must have observed that the 
orators who are fondest of quoting Latin are by no means the most scrupu- 
lous about marring their native tongue. — Macaulay. 

Goethe said, " He who is acquainted with no foreign tongues, knows 
nothing of his own." Marsh replied, "If by knowledge of a language is 
meant the power of expressing or conceiving the laws of language in formal 
rules, the opinion may be well founded; but, if it refers to the capacity of 
understanding, and skill in properly using our own tongue, all observation 
shows it to be very wide of the truth." 

To read the English language well, to write with dispatch a neat, legible 
hand, and to be master of the first four rules of arithmetic, so as to dispose 
at once, with accuracy, of every question of figures which comes up in 
practice, — I call this a good education. And if you add the ability to write 

iii 



It F3AQTI0AL ENGLISH, 

pure, grammatical English, I regard it as an excellent education. These 
are the tools. You can do much with them, but you are hopeless without 
them. They are the foundation and unless you begin with these, not with 
flashy attainments, a little geology and all other ologies and osophies are 
ostentatious rubbish. — Everett 

You might read all the books in the British Museum (if you could live 
long enough), and remain an utterly " illiterate," uneducated person; but if 
you read ten pages of a good book, letter by letter, — that is to say, with real 
accuracy, — you are forevermore in some measure an educated person. The 
entire difference between education and non-education (as regards the 
merely intellectual part of it) consists in this accuracy. A well educated 
gentleman may not know many languages, — may not be able to speak any 
but his own, — may have read very few books. But whatever language he 
knows, he knows precisely ; whatever word he pronounces, he pronounces 
rightly ; above all, he is learned in the peerage of words — Ruskin. 



PREFACE. 



The highest aim of all intellectual education is to develop the power of 
thought. No branch of study is more effective for this purpose than 
English. The study of one's mother tongue must be the study of thought 
first, and then the forms in which it is expressed. But there can be very 
little evidence of intense intellectual activity in any particular direction , 
except as it is embodied in a definite form. The painter shows his thoughts 
upon canvas; the sculptor, in marble or metal; the architect, in the build- 
ing; — all in some form that^appeals to the mind through the senses. So the 
orator sways his audience by his language and manner of speaking ; the 
philosopher, by his reasoning; the poet, by his rhythm and sentiment; — all, 
by some outward form through which the impression is conveyed to others. 

In teaching the English Language and in preparing this work, the 
following principles have been adhered to as closely as possible : 

1. Exclude all that is useless and get the essential principles of all 
that is useful. 

2. Select from the useful that which is practical as well as disciplinary. 

3. Avoid the use of forms except in so far as they can be employed to 
develop and concentrate thought. 

4. Place before the pupil flashes of sentiment and gems of thought 
from known authors, and # avoid as far as possible ''home-made" exercises 
that do not expand and ennoble the mind. 

5. Require the pupil to think for himself and do his own work. 

6. Inculcate a love for the best English within the capacity of the 
learner. 

7. Comment sparingly. Make suggestions «nd require (rather permit) 
the pupils to pass judgment and decide. 

The source from which the pupil's knowledge of his mother-tongue is 
to be obtained must be the language itself. Hence in this work the exer 
cises for practice are placed before the definitions and rules; but the refer- 
ences given in parentheses to tbe paragraphs containing the principles 
which the exercises illustrate, will enable the pupil to study the general 
principles underlying our language while studying the language itself in its 
many constructions. 

This book consists of seven Parts, one devoted to each of the following 
subjects: (1) Pronunciation; (2) Spelling; (3) Lexicology; (4) Etymology; 
(5) Syntax; (6) Composition; and (7) Literature. These divisions were 

v 



VI PREFACE. 

i 

ad )pted to secure system and to enable the teacher to select any particular 
phase of the subject, in the belief that he knows better than an author what 
his pupils need most. Each Part is complete in itself and, to some extent, 
independent of the others; yet all taken together form a unit. 

Parts One, Two, and Three form a Spelling Book, containing more 
than five thousand practical words and the essential features of the most 
improved spelling books and special works on etymology. 

Parts Four and Five cover the ground usually gone over in Grammar. 

Parts Six and Seven give the essentials of Composition and Rhetoric, as 
well as a foundation for the study of the choicest Literature from a critical 
and aesthetic standpoint. 

In almost every exercise will be found sentences printed in Italics. 
Especial attention is called to these gems of thought, and it is earnestly 
recommended that they be thoroughly memorized by the pupils and talked 
about in the class till all are not only familiar with the words, but also with 
the thought. 

No one thing can be so well learned in a short time as not to require 
frequent recurrence to it in order that it may grow into the mind and thus 
become a permanent mental acquisition. In order to supply suitable ma- 
terial for constant review in each Part after the first, small letters are 
placed to the right and a little above certain words to call special attention 
to something treated in a preceding Part of the book. Thus, p calls for the 
Pronunciation; s, for Spelling; I, for Lexicology; e, for Etymology; and u, for 
Use, or Syntax. 

In presenting this addition to the long list of text books on English 
grammar and its allied subjects, the author offers no apology. As no 
attempt has been made before to cover so broad a field in one book, there 
is, perhaps, room for such a work. From year to year, the author has 
consulted the latest and best authorities upon the subjects here presented, 
and given to his pupils the choicest and most valuable of his gleanings, with 
such changes as his own views suggested. The selections for practice have, 
in many cases, been given as found in the books consulted, without any 
thought of their ever being used by him except in his own classes. In con- 
sulting the exercise books of his pupils in making up this volume,, many of 
the best examples were selected without any thought of the source from 
which they were obtained; hence there may be occasionally examples with 
which other authors should have been credited. 

The author desires to acknowledge his indebtedness to many worthy 
books upon the subjects treated in this work, to friends for their encourage- 
ment in so difficult an undertaking, to well known teachers who have read 
the manuscript and tested much of it in their own classes, and to the pub- 
lisher for the mechanical execution of the entire work. E. R. B. 

Cincinnati, O , Jan. 1, 1890. 



SHORTER COURSE. 



The following shorter and, in most cases, more elementary course is 
suggested for ungraded schools, and for graded schools which give little 
attention, comparatively, to English. With such changes as may appear 
desirable to the instructor, it can be made to meet the wants of an Institute 
of either long or short duration. The thoughtful teacher will soon see what 
his pupils need first. The author generally begins with the short course in 
Composition, and follows that with Pronunciation ; thereafter the order of 
the subjects is dependent upon circumstances determined by the w r ants of 
each class. The numbers refer to the paragraphs. Of course it is necessaiy 
to study the definitions, rules, etc., referred to in the given paragraphs 

Pronunciation. Read 8 carefully. Study 9-20 inclusive, and be able 
to use the words given, or such as the teacher may suggest, in sentences. 
Read 31, and if thought advisable study 32-7. Study 38-64 and use as 
suggested above. Study 65, 70, 71, 72, 75, 76, and 80. Study 83, b4, 85, 
87, and 89. Study 94 and the alternate words or such others as the teacher 
may designate in 96-124. 

Spelling. Study 1 and 2. Read carefully 3 and 4. Study 5, 6. 8, 9, 
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 25, 28, 73, 74, 75, 79, 83, 84, 86, 87, and selections 
from 88. 

Lexicology. It is generally not advisable to devote many consecutive 
lessons to this subject. The following selections, or an equal number, will 
be enough at one time for most classes. The list of prefixes, suffixes and 
bases, and the examples under each, furnish sufficient material for occa- 
sional work for two or three years. By giving time for the thoughts 
suggested by such work to grow, the pupils will gradually but surely 
acquire a largo vocabulary. 

Read 1, 2, and 3 carefully. Study the derivation and meaning of three 
or four words selected by the teacher from each paragraph, or one or two 
of the first and one or two of the last words in each paragraph from 4-332. 
The following w r ould probably be a more satisfactory course with most 
classes.- Study 4, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 15, 20, 22, 21, 25, 27, 28. 31, 33, 34, 36. 39, 
40, 42, and 43. Read 46, and study 47, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 60, 62, 65, 66, 68, 
73, 74, 75, 77, 84, 85. 86, 87, 89, 91, 94,.95, 97, 100, 101, 103, 105, 106, 107, 
108, and 114. Read 115-7 carefully, then study 118, 120, 121, 125, 128, 130, 
131, 132, 135, 139, 141, 142, 144, 148, 149, 150, 153, 156, 157, 159, 160, 161, 
162, 164, 168, 170, 171, 173, 174, 176, 180, 182. 184, 185, 192, 194, 195, 198, 

vii 



COPYBIGHTED, 1890, 
A. FLANAGAN. 



CONTENTS 



Table of Sounds, ------ l*-3 

Name op Sounds, ------ 4 and 5 

Orthoepic Punctuation, or Diacritical Markings, Definition, 136-7 



Sounds in Words, 
l 1 . Vocals (v.*), 
2 1 . Subvocals (s.), 
3 1 . Nonvocals (n.), 

Syllables, 

l 1 . Monosyllables (m.), 
2 1 . Dissyllables (d.), - 
3 1 . Trisyllables (t), 
4 1 . Polysyllables (p.), 

Syllabication. 



6-8 and 9-37 

Definition, 132. Exercises, 1 and 9-37 

Definition, 133. Exercises, 2 and 38-53 

Definition, 134. Exercises, 3 and 54-64 

Definition, 138. 82 and 143 

Definition, 139. Exercises, 96-101 

Definition, 140. Exercises, 102-111 

Definition, 141. Exercises, 112-9 

Definition, 142. Exercises, 120-3 



l 1 , 
2 1 . 
3 1 . 



The Base of Syllables, 
Prefixes and Suffixes, 



4 1 . 

5 1 . 
6 1 . 

7". 



Rule, 150. Exercise, 89 
Definition, 151. 153 



Rule, 144. Exercise, 83 
Rule, 145. Exercise, 84 
The Subvocal or Nonvocal before the Vocal of an Accented Sylla- 
ble, Rule, 146. Exercise, 85. 
A Single Subvocal or Nonvocal between two Vocals, Rule, 147. 

Exercise, 86. 
A Subvocal or Nonvocal before I or r, Rule, 148. Exercise, 87 
Two or more Subvocals or Nonvocals between two Vocals, Rule, 

149. Exercise, 88. 
Silent Letters, - 

Accent, - 

Rules for Accentuation. 
I 1 . Derivative Words, 
2 1 . Dissyllables, 
3 1 . Trisyllables, 

4 1 . Words ending in ic t ics. or ion, * 
Miscellaneous Examples, 
l 1 . Monosyllables, - 
2 1 . Dissyllables, - 

3 1 . Trisyllable, 
4 1 . Polysyllable, 
5 1 . French Words, 
6 1 . Miscellaneous Exercises, - 



Rule, 153. 
Rule, 154. 
Rule, 155. 
Rule, 156. 



Exercise, 90 

Exercise, 91 

Exercise, 92 

Exercise, 93 

94-5 

Exercise, 96-101 

Exercise, 102-111 

Exercise, 112-9 

Exercise, 120-3 

Exercise, 124 

125-7 



*The numbers Indicate the paragraphs; the symbols are In parentheses, 

3 



I. TABLE OF SOUNDS. 



1. VOCALS (132). 







THE 






PHONETIC. 


EXER- 


WEBSTER'S. 


WORCESTER'S. 




EXAMPLES. 












CENTURY. 




FORM 


NAME. 


C1SKS. 


a 


a 


a 


Arm, far 


Qq 


a (ah) 


9 


a, e 


a 


a 


ate, they 


Ee 


e («y) 


10 


a 


a 


a 


at, map 


Aa 


a (a) 


11 


a, e 


a, e 


a 


air, there 


A3. 


a (a/[r]) 


12 


a (See 6) 


a (See o) 


a (See 6) 






(See o) 


22 


a 


JL 

a 


a 


ask, staff 


aa 


a (ah) 


13 


a 


a 


a* or af 


palace, liar 






32 


e, it 


_ A 

e, i 


e 


eat, p/que 


h 


I (ee) 


14 


e 


e 


e 


met^ egg 


Ee 


e(g) 


15 


e, i, y 


e,i',y (See ii) 


e 


verge, s^r, myrrh 




(See o) 


16 


e (See a) 














e (See a) 










(See a) 


12 


e 


e 


e* or ej- 


event, buyer 






33 


hj 


*/y 


I 


^sle, fly 


aia 


E ai (eye, I) 


17 


hf 


** f 


i 


it, myth 


Ii 


i(0 


18 


i (See e) 


i (See e) 










14 


I (See e) 


i* (See e) 










16 


i 


i 


i* or if 


rmn, chanty 






34 








o 


no, old 


Oo 


o (oA) 


19 


o, a 


5 


o 


not, what 


Oo 


e (o) 


20 


6> & 


5, a 


£ A 

o, a 


nor, wall 


06 


e (ai^e) 


22 


6 (See u) 


o (See u) 










25 


9 (See u) 












26 


do (See u) 


oo (See u) 










26 


o (See u) 


6 (See u) 


o 








27 


oo (See o) 


66 (See 6) 










27 


6 (See ft) 












28 


o 


o 


o* or of 


democrat, actor 


Oo 


o (oh) 


35 


oi, oy 


oi, oy 


oi, oy 


oi\, hoy 


Oloi 


©i (oi) 


29 



*A single dot under a vowel in an unaccented syllable indicates its abbreviation and lightening, with- 
out absolute loss of its distinctive quality. 

fA double dot under a vowel in an unaccented syllable indicates that, even in the mouths of the host 
speakers, its sound is variable to, and In ordinary utterance actually becomes, the short w-sound (of bur, 
pun, etc.). 

5 



6 



PEAOTICAL ENGLISH. 



1. VOCALS (132)— Continued. 



WEBSTER'S. 


Worcester's. 


THE 
CENTURY. 


EXAMPLES. 


PHONBTIO. 
FORM NAME. 


EXER- 
CISES. 


OU, OW 


ou, OW 


OU, OW 


out, now 


(Man 


au (ou) 


30 


u 


U 


a 


use, mule 


IUia 


iu 


23-4 


ii, 6 


u, o 


u 


but, son 


Uu 


u («) 


25 


u, o, do 


u, oo 


u 


Ml, wolf, foot 


Uu 


u (oo) 


26 


U, Q, 6o 


-t A A A 

u, o, oo 




rwle, do, ooze 


Ua 


u (oo) 


27 


u, o 


ii 




burn, work 


Uo 


o (u[r]) 


28 


u 


u 


u or u 


singular, vims 






36 


y (See I) 


y (See I) 










17 


y (See I) 


y (See i) 










18 


y 


y 




fortify, envy 






37 



2. SUBVOCALS (133). 







THE 




PHONETIC. 




WEBSTER'S. 


WORCESTER S. 




EXAMPLES. 












CENTURY. 




FORM. 


NAME. 


C1SES. 


b 


b 


b 


bet, Ja#e 


Bb 


bl (bee) 


38 


d 


d 


d 


t/ip, rot? 


Dd 


di (rfee) 


39 


g 


T 

a* 

o 


g 


#um, log 


Gg 


gl (0*66) 


40 


g (See j) 












41 


j>g 


J>g 


h* 


jet, gem 


Jj 


je (./ay) 


41 


1 


1 


1 


Zap, fa/1 


LI 


el (6#) 


42 


m 


m 


m 


me, sum 


Mm 


em (em) 


43 


n 


n 


n 


wo, OW 


Nn 


en (en) 


44 


S, ng 




n g 


lmk, sing 


NGng 


ing (m#) 


45 


r 


r 


r 


rat, war 


Rr 


ar (ar) 


46 


s (See zh) 


s 










53 


s (See z) 


s (See z) 










52 


fck 


' tfe 


xrrx 


£Aee, clotfAe 


DHdh 


dhl (*Aee) 


47 


u (See w) 


u (See w) 










49 


V 


V 


V 


vat, rove 


Vv 


vi (vee) 


48 


w 


w 


W 


ware, qwail 


Ww 


wu (woo) 


49 


x (See z) 


x (See z) 










52 


x = gz 


x = gz 




escist 






50 


y 


9 

y 


y 


ye, young 


vy 


yi (yee) 


57 


z, s 


z, s 


z 


zone, his 


Zz 


zl (zee) 


52 


zh 


zh' 


zh, z 


azure, vision 


ZHzh 


zhi (zhee) 


53 



3. 



PRONUNCIATION. 



3. NCXNVOCALS (134). 







THE 




PHONETIC. 


KXKR- 


wbbst.e's 


WORCESTER' 8. 




EXAMPLES. 












CENTURY. 




FORM. 


NAME. 


CISES. 


€, k, q 


€, k, q 


k 


come, &it, ^uack 


C(K)c(k)cI (Aee) 


54 


9 (See s) 


9 (See s) 










60 


ch 


ch 


ch, t 


cAest, church 


CHch 


chl(chee) 


55 


qh (See sh) 


qh (See sh) 










61 


f 


f 


f 


/at, ffe 


Ff 


rf (eff) 


5G 


h 


h 


h 


he, Aome 


Hh 


hi (hee) 


57 


hw(See wh) 


hw(See wh) 










58 


k (See -e) 








- 




54 


P 


P 


P 


pet, lip 


Pp 


pi (pee) 


59 


q (See «) 












54 


s, q 


s, 9 


s 


sin, cent 


Ss 


es (ess) 


60 


sh, gh 


sh 


sh, s 


she, chaise 


SHsh 


ish (ish) 


61 


t 


t 


t " 


tip, hat 


Tt 


ti (tee) 


62 


th 


th 


th 


thin, hath 


THth 


eth (eth) 


63 


wh = hw 


wh = hw 




when, what 






58 


x = ks 


x = ks 


ks 


ox, ta# 






64 



Note. — Script forms are the same as those in common use, the forms 
for a a, o e, a u, being distinguished thus : 

C*4 (2a Or&iy lUlAr 



II. NAME OF SOUNDS* WITH WEBSTER'S MARKINGS, 

4. Vocals. Long English, a, e, I, o, u, u (do). Short English, a, e, 
I, 5, u, u (do). 

Long Italian, a, e, i', 0, u. Short Italian, a, e, i, o, u. Modified, a, 
(e), e (I y), o (u). Obscure, the letters without any marks in Webster's 
notation. 

5. Subvocals and Nonvocals. Soft, 9, ch, g, s, sh, th. Hard, e, 
«h, g, s (z), zh, th. 

* Most ot the names of the sounds are arbitrary. The long sounds are not necessarily longer than the 
short. The soft sounds are made with the tip of the tongue ; the hard sounds further back. 



8 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

III. SOUNDS IN WORDS. 

6. Write the following words and show sounds represented at the 
beginning of the paragraph in which the words occur:* thus, under a, alms; 

a, space; g,g*g\ 8, hag. 

7. Webster's marks only are given, but Worcester's, The Century, or 
the Phonetic system may be used if preferred. The characters in parenthesis 
are sometimes used in spelling words having the same sound as the first 
characters in the paragraph. As they do not represent the correct sound, 
they must not be used in showing the pronunciation. If a sound can not 
be represented by the letters used in the correct spelling cf a word or 
a certain syllable, write the correct pronunciation of that word or syl- 
lable and inclose it in a parenthesis; thus, quick ly (kwik 7 -). Whenever 
principles are stated, show their application in the words that follow; thus, 
in 13 the am danceis followed by nc; therefore it has a sound intermediate 
between & and a. 

8. Do not depend upon the markings found in the dictionaries. They 
generally take it for granted that the Principles of Pronunciation are thor 
oughly understood. Vocals in unaccented syllables and silent letters, are 
often not marked. Be sure to know the pronunciation, then mark the 
letters so as to show it correctly. In all cases, pronounce the words given 
to illustrate each sound and bring out clearly the sound illustrated, before 
attempting to show the pronunciation in writing. Give especial attention 
to the words printed in Italics, as they are exceptions to the rule. 

EXERCISE 1. VOCALS (132) IN MONOSYLLABLES (139) AND 
ACCENTED (151) SYLLABLES 

9. a Italian, (e). 1. Alms. 2. arch. 3. gaunt. 4. 
heart. 5. ma'am. 6. psalm. 7. laugh. 8. hearth. 9. 
guard. 10. sergeant. 11. Guard against too great an 
enlargement of your mouth when you laugh. 

10. a long, e. 1. Space. 2. praise. 3. plague. 4. 
skein. 5. whey. 6. deign. 7. ache. 8. chaise. 9. gauge. 

10. jean. 

11. Heaven from all creatures hide the book of fate, 

All but the page prescribed, their present state. — Pope. 

11. a short. 1. badge. 2. gnash. 3. knack. 4. catch. 

*If the pupils have already studied the diacritical markings as given in the table (1,2,3) 
the teachtir might require the proper markings for all the sounds. Silent letters are repre- 
sented by drawing a line through them from left to right; thus, thro&gi*. 



- 


PRONUNCIATION. 


5. chasm, 
bade. 


6. scratch. 7. quack. 8. 



9 
plaid. 9. have. 10. 

11. A dandy is a thing that would 
Be a young lady if he could; 
But as he can't, does all he can 
To show the tcorld he's not a man. 

12. a* modified before r, 6. 1. Where. 2. scare. 3. 
lair. 4. wear. 5. heir. 6. flare. 7. tear. 8. ere. 9. 
spare. 10. there. 

11. The wisest and the happiest pair 
Will have occasion to forbear. 

13. a intermediate. This sound of a is intermediate 
between a and a. A in monosyllables and accented sylla- 
bles followed by ff, ft, nc, nt, sk, ss, st, or sp, generally has 
this sound. 1. Dance. 2. quaff. 3. trance. 4. graft. 5. 
lass. 6. chance. 7. chant. 8. staff. 9. fast. 10. gasp. 
11. If ye dare to ask justice, be answered by the lash. 

14. e long, i (ay). 1. Scene. 2. preach. 3. please. 
4. fleece. 5. squeak. 6. pique. 7. quay. 8. scheme. 
9. cheer. 10. police. 

11. The truth itself is not believed 
By one who often has deceived. 
12. Vice is a monster of so frightful mein, 
As to be hated, needs but to be seen. 

15. e short, (a, ai, ay, u.) 1. Deft. 2. deaf. 3. said. 
4. friend. 5. says. 6. bury. 7. guest. 8. many. 9. 
knell. 10. cleanse. 

11. One rule I leave you when I'm dead : 
Be sure you're right, then go ahead. 
12. If virtue starves while vice is fed, 

What then ? Is the reward of virtue bread ? 

16. e, 7, y. This sound is intermediate between u and 



* Webster's dictionary makes a difference between this sound and e (15). They are 
really the same. 



10 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

h. Some eminent orthoepists consider it the same as u. 
1. Herb. 2. dirge. 3. virgin. 4. myrrh. 5. squirm. 
6. verge. 7. earth. 8. germ. 9. myr'tle. 10. prefer. 
11. Truth crushed to earth will rise again; 
The eternal years of God are hers; 
But Error, wounded, withers with pain, 
And dies among her worshippers. 

17. I* long, y. 1. Blithe. 2. prize. 3. buy. 4. scythe. 
5. writhe. 6. height. 7. aisle. 8. guy. 9. rhyme. 10. 
lithe. 

11. He that by the plow would thrive 
Must either hold the plow or drive. 
12. Of all the vices that conspire to blind 

Man's erring judgment and misguided mind, 
What the weak head with strongest bias rules 
Is pride, the never failing vice of fools. 

18. i short, y, (u, e, o). 1. Bridge. 2. niche. 3. 
lynx. 4. been. 5. English. 6. women. 7. glimpse. 8. 
build. 9. busy. 10. hymn. 

11. Fat haunches make clean pates; and dainty bits 
Make rich the ribs, but bankrupt quite the wits. 
12. You silver wash a pewter cup 
It will be pewter still. 

19. 6 long, (au, ew). 1. Yolk. 2. ghost. 3. hoarse. 
4. sew. 5. rogue. 6. brogue, 7. goal. 8. beau. 9. court. 
10. haut'boy. 

11. Know then this truth, {enough for man to know,) 

Virtue alone is happiness below. — Pope. 
12. Mid pleasures or pain, in weal or in woe, 
'Tis a law of our being, we reap as we sow. 

20. o short, a. 1. Copse. 2. chaps. 3. bronze. 4. 
swamp. 5. squash. 6. beyond. 7. squat. 8. knowledge. 

* This is really a diphthong because it has two sounds; i. e. y a and e glided together. 



PRONUNCIATION. 11 

9. swap. 10. wand. 11. An honest man's the noblest work 

of God. 

12. There was a man whose name was Dob, 
He had a wife whose name was Mob ; 
He had a dog that they called Cob, 
And she a cat whose name was Bob. 
Note. — The letter o, followed by/, w, ng, s, or /ft, generally 

has a sound intermediate between o and 5, but is marked o. 

To give the former sound is considered affectation; the 

latter, vulgar. 1. Off. 2. cloth. 3. cost. 4. cross. 5. 

gone. 6. song. 7. froth. 8. trough. 9. soft. 10. prong. 

11. They scoffed at the long lost wanderer's return. 

21. O. Some phonologists recognize a shortened form 
of o, but it is practically the same as the o in unaccented 
syllables (35). 

22. d, a broad. 1. Waltz. 2. gauze. 3. gorge. 4. 
squall. 5. gnaw. 6. George. 7. broad. 8. squaw. 9. 
scorn. 10. brought. 

11. The Universal Cause 

Acts not by partial^ but by general laws. 

23. ii* long (ew). U beginning a syllable, or follow- 
ing the sound 6, /, g, Jc, m, p, or v, has a distinct y sound. 

I. Fuse. 2. beau'ty. 3. view. 4. juice. 5. pew. 6. ewe. 
7. mule. 8. cube. 9. yule. 10. gules. 

II. And still the wonder grew, 

How one small head contained the whole he knew. 

24. U following d, I, n, s, or /, is intermediate between 
u and u\ that is the y sound has partially disappeared. It 
is marked the same as long n (23) and some orthoepists 
claim that it has the same sound. 1. Duke. 2. flute. 3. 
lieu. 4. nude. 5. tune. 6. sue. 7. stew. 8. suit, 
deuce. 10. glue. 11. The news suits the lunatic. 

* This is really a diphthong representing eu. 



12 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

25. u short, o. 1. Buzz. 2. numb. 3. won. 4. touch. 
5. nudge. 6. judge. 7. snuff. 8. sponge. 9. does. 10. 
tongue. 

11. One constant element of luck 
Is genuine old Teutonic pluck. 

12. Go, my son, and shut the shutter. 
This I heard a mother utter. 
Shutter's shut, the boy did mutter, 
I can't shut it any shutter. 

26. u, o, oo short. 1. Full. 2. wolf. 3. soot. 4. 
brook. 5. bush. 6. should. 7. put. 8. wom'-an. 9. wool. 
10. bos'om. 11. Money is said to be the root of all evil. 

27. u, o, oo long (ew). 1. Tomb. 2. lose. 3. ooze. 

4. spruce. 5. grew. 6. scoop. 7. prune. 8. shoe. 9. 
fruit. 10. whose. 

11. Voyagers upon life's sect, 
To yourself be true, 
And where'er your lot may be, 
Paddle your own canoe. 

28. U modified, o. This sound generally occurs before 
r in monosyllables and in accented syllables. 1. Purr. 2. 
durst. 3. worst. 4. urge. 5. world. 6. worth. 7. furl. 

8. worm. 9. concur. 10. journey. 11. Return, O holy 
dove, return! 

29. oi,* oy. 1. Voice. 2. cloy. 3. quoit. 4. choice. 

5. roil. 6. groin. 7. oyster. 8. poignant. 9. coy. 10. 
foil. 11. Want of enjoyment is ivant of employment. 12. 
The soil of Illinois is very productive. 

30. ou,* ow. 1. Doubt. 2. drought. 3. scowl. 4. 
browse. 5. crowd. 6. count. 7. plough. 8. gown. 

9. ounce. 10. couch. 



*It will be seen by turning to the Table (I) that these letters really represent two 
sounds instead of one. 



PRONUNCIATION. 18 

11. Attempt the end and never stay in doubt j 
Nothing } s so hard but search will find it out. 

EXERCISE 2. VOCALS (132) IN UNACCENTED SYLLABLES. 

31. The vocal of an unaccented syllable generally has what is called an 
abbreviated sound, which is the long or the short sound lightened but with- 
out loss of its distinctive quality. Sometimes they are variable to, or actually 
become short u (u). " Every vowel sound must have some quality and no 
pronouncing dictionary can lay any just claim to completeness if it fails to 
tell what that sound is."— Wells. Webster does not mark the letters with an 
obscure sound ; Worcester puts a dot under each; The Century puts a dot 
under the letter to show the abbreviated sound and two dots for the u sound. 
The following principles will serve as a guide. In all cases of doubt, con- 
sult the dictionary. 

32. A in an unaccented syllable generally has an 
abbreviated sound ; but final a in unaccented syllables 
generally has the sound d. 1. America. 2. anoint. 3. 
appellative. 4. amuse. 5. Cuba. 6. adjourn. 7. idea. 
8. appearance. 9. sofa. 10. alluvial. 

33. E in unaccented syllables generally has an abbre- 
viated sound; sometimes the u sound. 1. Emotion. 2. 
endanger. 3. patent. 4. society. 5. college. 6. Napoleon. 
7. deliberate. 8. recumbent. 9. surrender. 10. eolian. 

34. J in unaccented syllables generally has the sound 
* , or i . " The inquirer must be sent to the dictionary to 
learn, in each particular case, the true pronunciation." — 
Smart. 1. Direct. 2. biology. 3. infinite. 4. chloride. 
5. positive. 6. bicycle. 7. idea. 8. gentile. 9. exile. 
10. philosophy. 

35. O in unaccented syllables generally has the sound 
b or o slightly abbreviated (21); sometimes it is variable 
to u. 1. Tobacco. 2. telescope. 3. offense. 4. original. 
5. parrot. 6. opinion. 7. matrimony. 8. neurology. 9. 
geographic. 10. parasol. 

36. U in unaccented syllables ending with a subvocal 
or nonvocal generally has the sound u slightly abbreviated. 



14 PEAGTICAL ENGLISH. 

1. Ridicule. 2. accurate. 3. verdure. 4. gratitude. 5. 
erudite. 6. institute. 7. visual. 8. literature. 9. habitual. 
10. lettuce. 

37. Y in unaccented syllables ending with a subvocal 
or nonvocal generally has the sound y. Final y generally 
has the sound y\ but occupy, multiply, prophesy, and all 
verbs (Etymology, 73) ending in fy have y. 1. Magnify. 

2. mythology. 3. proselyte. 4.' vanity. 5. purify. 6. 
deify. 7. anodyne. 8. justify. 9. hypocrisy. 10. neophyte. 

EXERCISE 3. SUBVOCALS (133). 

38. b (p). 1. Babe. 2. curb. 3. mob. 4. ebb. 5. 
cupboard (cub-). 6. babble. 7. bribe. 8. beat. 9. bub- 
ble. 10. cub. 11. A big black bug bit a big black bear. 

12. Earth smiles around with boundless beauty blest, 
And heaven beholds its image in her breast 

39. d. 1. Did. 2. grandfather. 3. child's. 4. folds. 
5. scald. 6. builds. 7. dawn. 8. fields. 9. holds. 10. 
laid. 11. bands. 12. stand. 13. friends. 14. He licks 
the hand just raised to shed his blood. 

15. Lives there a man with soul so dead, 
Who never to himself hath said, 

This is my own, my native land? — Scott 

40. g hard. The letter g not followed by e, i, or y, 
generally has the hard sound. 1. Gag. 2. log. 3. gall. 
4. hag. 5. rogue. 6. ghosi. 7. guess. 8. digging. 9. 
guard. 10. brogue. 11. Eight great gray geese grazing 
gaily in Greece. 

12. A giddy, giggling girl, her kinsfolk's plague; 
Her manners vulgar and her converse vague 

41. j, g soft. The letter g before e, i, or y, generally 
has this sound. The exceptions are get, give, gibbous, 
muggy. 1. Joy. 2. giant. 3. page, 4. jilt. 5. fledge. 



PRONUNCIATION. 15 

6. juice. 7. gaol. 8. syringe. 9. pledge. 10. justice. 

11. John, James and Jacob joked joyously. 12. Judge not, 
that ye be not judged. 

Note. — The letter d preceding a sound of y in an unac- 
cented syllable often has this sound, according to Webster; 
as, modulate (moj'oolate), soldier (sol'jer). 

42. I. 1. Loll. 2. lie. 3. weal. 4. dull. 5. kiln. 
6. limp. 7. little. 8. laugh. 9. while. 10. poll. 

11. Let Caroline smooth the liquid lay, 

Lull with Amelia's liquid name the nine, 
And sweetly flow through all the royal line. 

43. m. 1. Maim. 2. more. 3. phlegm. 4. drachm. 
5. mow. 6. hymn. 7. tomb. 8. Mai. 9. mammon. 10. 
autumn. 11. Bring me some ice, not some mice. 

12. In notes by distance made more sweet, 

Poured through the mellow horn her pensive soul. 

44. n (m). 1. Nine. 2. knave. 3. nay. 4. gnash. 
5. hasten. 6. reign. 7. John. 8. handsome. 9. knight. 
10. comptroller (eon-). 11. Did you say a notion, or an 
ocean? 12. To talk of nonentity annihilated was certainly 
nonsensical enough. 

45. n, ng. The letter n before the sound g, k, or x gen- 
erally has the sound of ng. Most of the exceptions are 
found in words beginning with the prefixes in, non, un, and 
quinque. 1. gong. 2. sink. 3. lynx. 4. congress. 5. 
tongue. 6. sprung. 7. minx. 8. penguin. 9. income. 
10. nonconform. 11. And answer, echoes, answer, dying, 
dying, dying. 

12. Condition — circumstance — is not the thing: 
Bliss is the same in subject and in king. 

46. r. 1. Eare. 2. rue. 3. stride. 4. whirl. 5. 
merrier. 6. rye. 7. grave. 8. mire, 9. murmur. 10. 



16 PliACTICAL ENGLISH. 

terror. 11. Round the rough and rugged rocks the ragged 
rascal ran. 

12. Rend with tremendous sound your ears asunder, 
With gun, drum, trumpet, blunderbuss and thunder. 

47. 4k. 1. Bathe. 2. paths. 3. clothe. 4. moths. 
5. swaths. 6. booth. 7. blithe. 8. breathe. 9. mouth 
(verb). 10. wreathe. 

11. As I awake sweet music breathe 
Above, about, or underneath. 

48. v (f, ph.). 1. Valve. 2. vane. 3. of. 4. survive. 
5. Stephen. 6. void. 7. vex. 8. nerve. 9. vile. 10. hive. 
11. Down in the vale, where the leaves of the grove wave 
over the head. 

12. Just as I am thou wilt receive, 

Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve, 
Because thy promise I believe. 

49. tv (u, o). The letter u before another vowel in the 
same sjdlable generally has this sound. 1. Worse. 2., 
quail. 3. quack. 4. once. 5. assuage. 6. suit. 7. i: 
ward. 8. suavity. 9. query. 10. languid. 11. A wigl 
well versed in waggery wooed a woman he would not wed. 

50. x. The letter x usually has the sound of gz when 
the syllable which follows it begins with a vowel and is 
accented. 1. Exist. 2. auxiliary. 3. exemplary. 4. exact. 
5. luxurious. 6. exert. 7. exhort. 8. examination. 9. 
exhale. 10. example. 11. He who lags begs, but he who 
exerts himself becomes exalted. 

51. y (i, j). The letter i before another vowel and 
preceded by an accented syllable, often has this sound. See 
23. 1. Yawn. 2. beyond. 3. anxious. 4. poniard. 5. 
million. 6. familiar. 7. minion. 8. genius. 9. hallelu- 
jah. 10. bestial. 11. The youth refused to yield. 

52. z, s (x, c). The letter x initial has this sound. 



PRONUNCIATION. 17 

1. Zone. 2. xebec. 3. maze. 4. Xerxes. 5. rise (verb). 
6. suffice. 7. discern. 8. house (verb). 9. sacrifice. 
10. Xenia. 

11. Boisterous in speech, in action prompt and bold. 
He buys, he sells, he steals, he kills for gold. 

53. zh (s, z). The letters s and z preceded by a vocal 
in an accented syllable and followed by the subvocal y (51) 
generally have this sound. The letters zh never come to- 
gether in a word. 1. Azure. 2. glazier. 3. vision. 4. 
measure. 5. fusion. 6. usury. 7. pleasure. 8. treasure. 

9. leisure. 10. grazier. 11. The grazier has more leisure 
than the glazier. 

EXERCISE 4. NONVOCALS (134). 

54. e, k (q). The letter c not followed by e, i, or y, 
has this sound except when silent. ( 135, note. ) K and q 
always have this sound. 1. Cake. 2. creak. 3. queen. 

4. knack. 5. oblique. 6. quadrille. 7. cork. 8. flaccid. 
1 antique. 10. coquette. 11. The old cold scold sold a 
hool coal-scuttle. 12. The clumsy kitchen clock clicked, 
icked. 

55. Ch. 1. Church. 2. march. 3. filch. 4. chore. 

5. chair. 6. bench. 7. China. 8. richer. 9. patch. 

10. chow-chow. 11. Once more into the breach dear 
friends, once more. 

^^- / (ph> gh)« This sound is often represented by 
p\ or gh. 1. Fife. 2. off. 3, tough. 4. laughter. 5. 
phantom. 6. fade. 7. draught. 8. sylph. 9. philos- 
ophy. 10. nephew. 11. The philosopher laughingly 
quaffs a draught of water for his cough. 

12. But with the whiff and wind of his fell sword 
The unnerved father falls. 
57. h. 1. Hail. 2. house. 3. head. 4. happy. 5. 



18 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

heave. 6. exhaustive. 7. vehemence. 8. exhort. 9. 
humble. 10. hoary. 11. Henry Hingham has hung his 
harp on the hook, where he hitherto hung his hope. 12. 
Up a high hill he heaved a huge stone. 

58. hw. This sound, recognized by most orthoepists, is 
represented by wh. The combination of the letters hw 
never occurs. 1. What. 2. whose. 3. whale. 4. whet. 
5. whoop. 6. whoa. 7. where. 8. white. 9. which. 
10. when. 

11. The whole room whirled about her, 
When she whispered, why? where? 

59. p (gh). 1. Pipe. 2. paper. 3. consumptive. 

4. pulp. 5. pumpkin. 6. bumpkin. 7. exemption. 
8. hiccough. 9. diphthong. 10. pippin. 11. Peter Piper 
picked a peck of prickly peppers. 12. What pretty pranks 
Frank's prawns play in the tanks. 

60. s, g (z). The letter s always has this sound at the 
beginning of a word and frequently in the middle. C before 
e, i, or y has the same sound, z also sometimes has the same 
sound. 1. Same. 2. sauce. 3. cede. 4. cypress. 5. 
mice. 6. stress. 7. ceaseless. 8. chintz. 9. acid. 10. 
science. 11. He sawed six slim, sleek, slender, saplings. 
12. Guessing the design was perceived, he desisted. 

61. sh (c, s, t, ch). The letters c, s and /, followed 
by e or i in an unaccented syllable generally have this 
sound. 1. Shroud. 2. chaise. 3. nation. 4. shrunk. 

5. Asia. P). ocean, 7. nausea. 8. shrewed. 9. mission, 
10. conscience. 11. She says she shall sew a sheet. 
12. Sheba Sherman Shelly sharpened his shears and 
sheared his sheep. 

62. / (d). The letter d preceded by a nonvocal and 
silent e in the same syllable also has this sound. 1. Tract. 
2. stripped. 3 fact. 4. directly. 5. boasts. 6. sought. 



PRONUNCIATION. 19 

7. ghost. 9. fists. 9. perfectly. 10. rushed. 11. A 
tell-tale, tattling, termagant troubles the town. 
12. He could not boast about his volt. 

And as for ivisdom, he had none of it. 

— Butler. 

63. th. 1. Truths. 2. breaths. 3. youths 4. withe. 
5. withes. 6. depth. 7. thrice. 8. myth. 9. think. 
10. thigh. 11. He thrust a thousand thistles through the 
thick of his thumb. 12. Thirty-three thousand and thirty- 
three thoughtless youths thronged the thoroughfare, and 
thought to thwart three thousand thieves by throwing 
thimbles. 

64. x—ks. 1. Ox. 2. flax. 3. expect. 4. anxious. 
5. ibex. 6. luxurious. 7. proximity. 8. vexation. 9. wax. 
10. excellent. 11. He picks sticks, hacks them with an 
ax, and fixes them together with tacks. 



IV- SILENT LETTERS. (135. Note) 

65. Many letters used in spelling words are silent; that is, they have 
no sound. E is the only vowel concerning- which rules of any practical 
value can be given. In most so-called digraphs the vocal is represented 
by one of the letters, the other is silent. 

EXERCISE 5. SILENT LETTERS. 

66. The letter e at the end or a word is silent, except 
in monosyllables containing no other vowel, in classical 
words, and in some words from modern foreign lano-ua^es. 
1. Cube. 2. forbade. 3. gentile. 4. maratime. 5. archive. 
6. scribe. 7. ace. 8. become. \). justice. 10. granite. 

67. The letter e before final (131) n not preceded by 
Z, m, n or r, is generally silent. 1. Often. 2. even. 
3. open. 4. frozen. 5. shorten. (5. heaven. 7. linen. 



20 PBAOTICAL ENGLISH. 

8. woolen. 9. golden. 10. fallen. 11. wooden. 12. omen, 
13. siren. The following are the exceptions: 14. Aspen. 
15. chicken. 16. hyphen. 17. kitchen. 18. latten. 19. 
lichen. 20. marten. 21. mynchen. 22. paten. 23. patten. 

24. platen. 25. rowen. 26. wicken. 27. yewen. 28. fallen. 
29. stolen. 30. swollen. 

68. The letter e before final d and not preceded by 
d or / is generally silent. 1. Loved. 2. diffused, etc. 
The following adjectives (Etymology, 63) sound the e: 

3. Aged. 4. beloved. 5. blessed. 6. crabbed. 7. cra</- 
gred 8. crooked. 9. crutched. 10. cursed. 11. cusped. 

12. duced. 13. dogged. 14. hooked. 15. jogged. 16. 
learned. 17. legged. 18. naked. 19. peaked. 20. ragr- 
gred 21. rugged. 22. stubbed. 23. wicked. 24. winged. 

25. wretched. 

69. i£ before final Z is generally sounded, but there 
are so many exceptions that the rule is of little use unless 
the exceptions are all thoroughly learned. 1. Level. 2. 
vessel, etc. The e is silent in the following: 3. barbel. 

4. frefeZ. 5. chattel. 6. drazel. 7. drivel. 8. easeZ. 

9. grovel. 10. hazel. 11. mangel-wurzel. 12. mantel. 

13. mispickel. 14. mussel. 15. navel. 16. cmseZ, 17. 
raveZ. 18. ?*weZ. 19. scovel. 20. shekel. 21. shovel. 
22. shrivel. 23. snivel, 24. swingel. 25. swivel. 26. 
teasel. 27. toggel. 28. towsel. 29. weasel, and, accord- 
ing to a few orthoepists, 30. model. 

70. The letter 5 preceded by m or followed by / is gen- 
erally silent. 1. Lamb. 2. tomb. 3. succumb. 4. debt. 

5. numb. 6. doubt. 7. rhomb. 8. mm5. 9. rhumb. 

10. bdellium. 

71. The letter c is silent in 1. czar. 2. victuals, 
3. indict. 4. schism. 5. yacht, and their derivations 



PRONUNCIATION. 21 

(Lexicology, 416), also in Connecticut, drachm, and the 
termination scle. 

72. The letter d is silent in Wednesday and handker- 
chief. 

13. The letter g is silent before m or n, in the same 
syllable, and when followed by the letter h, unless the gh 
represents the sound / (56). 1. Sign. 2. phlegm. 3. 
though. 4. naught. 5. gnat. 6. daughter. 7. taught. 

8. benign. 9. gnash. 10. impugn. 

74. The letter h is silent after g, r, or a vocal, in the 
same syllable. 1. Ghost. 2. rhyme. 3. ah. 4. gherkin. 
5. myrrh. 6. Sarah. It is silent also in 7. heir. 8. herb. 

9. hour. 10. honor, and their derivations; and in 11. asth- 
ma. 12. isthmus. 13. phthisic. 14. Thomas. 15. Thames. 

75. The letter k is silent before n in the same syllables 
and after c. 1. Knack. 2. knell. 3. barrack. 4. knit. 
5. black. 

76. The letter I is silent when preceded by a and 
followed by /, k, m, or v (except in valve) in the same 
syllable. 1. Alms. 2. chalk. 3. malmsey. 4. calm. 

5. half. 6. almond. 7. palmer. 8. calves. 9. walk. 

10. calk. It is also silent in could, would, and should. 

11. The letter m is silent in mnemonic and its deriva- 
tives. 

78. The letter n final preceded by I or m is silent; but 
it is sounded in the derivatives of such words. 1. Kiln. 
2. condemn. 3. condemnatory. 4. hymn. 5. hymning. 

6. limn. 7. limner. 8. damn. 9. contemn. 10. solemnize. 

79. The letter p initial before n or s, and between m 
and /, in the same syllable is silent. 1. Psalm. 2. pneu- 
matics. 3. exempt. 4. pshaw. 5. tempt. 6. accompt. 
It is also silent in 7. raspberry. 8. receipts. 9. semps- 
tress. 10. corps. 



22 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

80. The letter s is silent in 1. isle. 2. island. 3. aisle. 

4. demesne. 5. puisne. 6. viscount. It is also generally 
silent at the end of French words adopted into English; as, 
8. chamois. 9. corps. 10. vis-a-vis, etc. 

81. The letter / is silent before ch in the same syllable, 
and in the terminations ten and tie after s. 1. Fasten. 

2. match. 3. thistle. 4. epistle. It is also silent in 

5. often. 6. chestnut. 7. Christinas. 8. hostler. 9. mis- 
tletoe. 10. mortgage. 11. depot. 12. eclat. 

82. The letter iv is silent when it follows a vowel in 
the same syllable, unless it unites with it to form a diph- 
thong; as, sow, {w silent), now {w not silent); it is also 
silent before r in the same syllable. 1. Wrote. 2. know.* 

3. writhe. It is also silent in 4. answer. 5. sword. 

6. toward. 7. two; and in 8. who. 9. whole. 10. whoop, 
and their derivatives. 



V. SYLLABLES (138-143). 

83. In the following exercises the part of the word illustrating the 
rule is printed in Italics. Learn each rule as it is referred to and note how 
it applies to each word. 

EXERCISE 6. SYLLABICATION. 

84. (144.) Remember in the application of this rale 
that many vowels (Spelling, 92) are not vocals (132), but 
are silent (135, Note) ; also that two vowels are often used 
to produce one vocal. 1. Qib bous. 2. ghost \y. 3. 
en gme. 4. whirl i gig. 5. in com pre hens i hi\ i ty. 
6. clots ter. 7. gym. nast. 8. con his ion. 9. house hold. 
10. as sail ant. 

85. (145.) 1. Herb age. 2. com press. 3. fruit less. 
4. fore sight. 5. fright ful. 



PRONUNCIATION. 23 

86. (146.) 1. Multipli cand. 2. ma chin ist. 3. ex- 
e cu tion. 4. e guiv a lent. 5. de /end ant. 

87. (147.) 1. SquaZ id. 2. res ur rec tion. 3. de- 
lie ious (61). 4. in sip id. 5. a?" o ma/ ic. 6. ge?i er ous, 
7. gut tur al. 

&&. (148.) 1. Ac' rid. 2. acridity. 3. o Wige'. 
4. o67i ga to ry. 5. pro cZaim'. 6. pro<?' la ma tion. 7. 
ge og f ra phy. 8. ge o #raph' ic. 9. re cZaim. 10. rec- 
la ma tion. 

89. (149.) 1. Laun cZry. 2. grammar. 3. al fop a- 
thy. 4. en vel ope. 5. ad van ta geous. 5. mer can /ile. 
7. for grer y. 8. mis chiev ous. 9. pen nies. 10. cur- 
ren cy. 

90. (150.) 1. Rasp ber ry. 2. fas/ en. 3. to ward. 
4. al mond. 5. hand ker chief. 



VI. ACCENT (151-2). 

EXERCISE 7. ACCENTUATION. 

91. (153.) 1. Un ten able. 2. firm ness. 3. uni- 
W7*s' al. 4. pre side'. 5. ad miss i ble. 

92. (154.) 1. Mon' key. 2. sci" ence. 3. iai lor. 
4. rhii barb. 5. 7?ior / phine. 

Use the following words, first as a noun, and second as 
a verb or adjective: 1. Abstract. 2. accent. 3. affix. 
4. augment. ■ 5. compact. 6. concrete. 7. cement. 8. 
converse. 9. desert. 10. survey. 11. rebel. 12. produce. 
13. present. 14. perfume. 15. insult. 16. import. 17. 
essay. 18. digest. 19. escort. 20. compound. 21. project. 
22. export. 23. record. 24. permit. 25. contrast. 26. 
prefix. 27. ferment. 28. retail. 29. premise. 30. frequent. 



24 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

93, (155.) 1. Beg i ment. 2. crit' i cism. 3. pho- 
fog' ra pher. 4. de now! i nate. 5. re tip ro cal. 

94. (156.) 1. Scien/i/'ic. 2. o pm' ion. 3. math-. 
e mcd' ics. 4. al ge 6ra' ic. 5. in ter ces sions. The 
principal exceptions are : 6. a ritli me tic. 7. Caih' o lie, 
8. c/zor er ic. 9. e phem' er ic. 10. her' e tic. 11. la' na- 
tic. 12. poll i tic. 13. rhef or ic. 



VII. MISCELLANEOUS EXAMPLES, 

95, Show the pronunciation of the following words ; that is, mark 
the letters requiring marks or represent the pronunciation in parenthesis if it 
cannot be shown with the letters found in the word, separate those of more 
than one syllable into syllables, and show the accent. If thought advisable 
the pupils may write the symbol for each sound (132-4) under it, the 
number of the paragraph containing the rule for the syllabication above 
and between the syllables, and the number indicating the rule for the accent 
above the accent mark. 

The first one hundred words in Exercises 8, 9, and 10, and the first 
fifty in Exercise 11 are marked to show the pronunciation; occasionally, 
among the others, a word is wholly or partly marked according to Webster. 

EXERCISE 8. MONOSYLLABLES (139). 

96. 1. Aunt. 2. bath. 3. baths. 4. pass. 5. -cloth. 6. 
€lotb§. 7. gape. 8 mouth. 9. mouthg. 10, psalm. 11. wreath. 
12. wreatbg. 13. deign. 14. lath. 15. latfe§. 16. waft. 17. 
oath. 18. oatbg. 19. half. 20. path. 21. patb§. 22. jaunt. 
23. moth. 24. morh§. 25. taunt. 

97. 1. Breath, 2. breaths. 3. tough (tuf). 4. sheath. 5. 
sheaths. 6. quaff (kwaf). 7. hearth. 8. hearths. 9. rough (ruf). 
10. growth. 11. growths. 12, hough (hiif). 13. lough (luf). 
breadth, 14. breadths. 15. change. 16. loath. 17. 10a£fee. 
18. plough. 19. soothe. 20. nought (n&t). 21. smootke. 22. 
weigh. 23. thought (that). 24. trough (traf). 25. trance. 

98, 1. Ere. 2. elm. 3. catch. 4 forge. 5. gape. 6. 
hound. 7 nape. 8. gnaw. 9. sleek. 10. quoit (kwoit). 11. 
haze. 12. spasm. 13. frQst. 14. mule, 15. truge. 16. praise. 



PRONUNCIATION. 25 

17. twang. 18. loathe. 19. skulk 20. s^ald. 21. prance. 

22. whom (hwom). 23. bush. 24. choige. 25. vague. 

99. 1. Sprawl. 2. guide. 3. gOurd 4. scourge. 5. trait. 
6. germ. 7. dr5ss. 8. bruise. 9. gray. 10. bleak. 11. breadth. 
12. shrink. 13. thr5ng. 14. n5tch. 15. sw # ard. 16. nobse. 
17. purse. 18. flounce. 19. tour. 20. flown. 21. shove. 22. 
yawn. 23. verse. 24. shroud 25. have. 

100. 1, B.ald. 2. wharf. 3. whoa. 4. feign. 5. wrath. 
6. skein. 7. their. 8. veil 9. glance. 10. juice. 11. arch. 
12. clique. 13 league. 14. qualm. 15. sparse. 16. sphinx. 
17. terse. 18. keel. 19. helm. 20. berth. 21. yacht. 22. 
launch. 23. buoy. 24. pearl. 26. rule. 

101. 1. Quartz. 2. balm. 3. croup, 4. perch. 5. shrewd. 
6. fetched. 7. wheeze. 8. gouge. 9. swath. 10. surge. 11. 
joist 12. knob. 13. haunt. 14. chaise. 15. yeast. 16. quince. 
17. lurch. 18. thumb. 19. beard. 20. wren. 21. flour. 22. 
wrong. 23. froth. 24. suit. 25. song:. 

exercise 9. dissyllables (146). 

102. 1. Jaun'dice. 2. sir' loin. 3. sopra*'no. 4. advance'. 
5. bas'ket. 6. -eon trast'. 7. ghast'ly. 8. pas'tor. 9. plas'ter. 
10. past'ure. 11. raft'er. 12. mas'ter. 13. eSm'ma. 14. mi'ea. 
15. b5r'row. 16. swal'low. 17. wrlt'ing. 18. mo'ment. 19. 
fragrance. 20. sev'en. 21. ea'gel. 22. ha'zel. 23. man'tel. 

24. bar'rel. 25. lev'el. 

103. 1. Trav'el. 2. dough'ty. 3. borough. 4. thorough. 
5. e nough ; (-nuf). 6. hie'cough (-kup). 7. again (a gen'). 8. 
bellows (bel'lus). 9. ep'o-eh. 10. -ea nine'. 11. ft nange'. 12. 
iron (I'urn). 13. ma'tron. JL4. a'ged. 15. be neafeh. 16. dig- 
arm'. 17. address'. 18. gra'tis. 19. leisure. 20. ally'. 21. 
chan'cel. 22. fort'night. 23. ll'la«. 24. discern "(diz zern'). 

25. dSg'ile. 

104. Greas/y. 2. mem'oir (-wor). 3. disdain'. 4. cognac 
(kOn'yak). 5. fran'chige. 6 mam ma'. 7. la.u'cet. 8. due'at. 
9. ful'some. 10. na'gal. 11. gha grin'. 12. eom'rade. 13. gri- 
mage. 14. lan'guor (-gwor). 15. ftg'iire. 16. ex t5l'. 17. 
guano(gwa-). 18. papa'. 19. €6l'umn. 20. flae'gid. 21. dis- 



26 PKACTICAL ENGLISH. 

Own'. 22. anxious (ank'shus). 23. forbade'. 24. deVade. 
25 fore'head. 

105. 1. De sist' (not -zist'). 2. gallows (gaTlus). 3. o'nyx, 

4. re search'. 5. mSr'phine (-fin). 6. o'vert. 7. re source'. 
8. pa/tron. 9. salm'on. 10. pla card'. 11. seck'el. 12. po'cm. 

13. squa'lor. 14. pretty (prit ty). 15. stal'wart (or stal-). 16. 
pretense'. 17. strata. 18. qui'nlue (kwi-), or quinine'. 19. 
suffice (suffiz'). 20 rad'ish. 21. tenet. 22. tbitb'er. 23. rap'- 
Ine. 24. tick'lish. 25. ti'ny. 

106. 1. Eagle. 2 pigeon. 3. turkey. 4 swallow. 5. 
ostrich. 6. whistle. 7. plumage. 8. fore'head. 9. apron. 
10. trousers. -11. ginseng. 12. sardine. 13. mussel. 14. 
partridge. 16. pinion. 17. knuckle. 18. mustache. 19. col- 
lar. 20. ribbon. 21. sorrel. 22. oyster. 23. onion. 24. 
orange. 25. waffle. 

107. 1 Radish. 2. spinach. 3. raisin. 4. pe «an' (or 
pe€a.n'). 5. honey. 6. muffin. 7. sir'up. 8. sewer. 9. chow- 
chow. 10. whin'ny. 11. carriage. 12. blizzard. 13. kitchen. 

14. scantling. 15. cabbage. 16. porridge. 17. ginger. 18. 
co'coa. 19. eclipse. 20. stirrup. 21. zephyr. 22. cellar. 23. 
tureen. 24. scissors. 25. sentry. 

108. 1. Filbert. 2. gruel. 3. sandwich. 4. breakfast. 

5. pommel. 6. cy'clone. 7. saloon. 8. ceiling. 9. scuttle. 
10. mattress. 11. girder. 12. clapboard (klab'bord). 13. 
pumpkin. 14. currant. 15. suture. 16. cupboard (kub'urd). 
17. gamble. 18. chestnut. 19. biscuit. 20. doughnut. 21. 
allspice. 22. victuals (vit Iz). 23. buggy. 24. breeching 
(brich'-). 25. simoon 

109. 1. Wain's<?6t. 2. bu'reau (~ro). 3. lapel'. 4. chisel 
5. anger. 6. chamois (sham'my). 7. bab oon'. 8. cedar. 9 
crystal. 10. sterile. 11. forty. 12. axle. 13. control. 14 
firkin. 15. tussle. 16. novel. 17. culprit. 18. Christian 
19. machine. 20. sugar. 21. satchel. 22. rabbit. 23. leop' 
ard. 24. alder. 25. gurgle. 

110. 1. Briers. 2. cottage. 3. wagon. 4. scallop. 5. 
produce. 6. eighteenth. 7.* baggage. 8. crevice. 9. haggard. 



PRONUNCIATION. 27 



10. pallid. 11. solemn. 12. wriggle. 13. cistern. 14. chromo. 
15. cha rade'. 16. nuptial. 17. Des Moines. 18. Worcester 
(wdos'ter) 19. column. 20. gi raffe'. 21. Indian (Ind'yan, or 
In'di an). 22. squirrel (skwur'rel or skwlr'rel). 23. sparkle. 
24. valley. 25. cattle. 

111. 1. Second. 2. million. 3. bargain. 4. drizzly. 5. 
harass. 6 porpoise (por'pus). 7. syringe. 8. cigar. 0. chronic. 
10 cham pagne'. 11. mission (mish'un). 12. Dubuque. 13. 
figures. 14. quotient. 15. gazelle'. 16. reindeer. 17. cy- 
press. 18. ripple. 19. terrace. 20. cradle. 21. man'ger. 

22. gypsum. 23. triple 24. absence. 25. cider. 

EXERCISE 10 TRISYLLABLES (141). 

112. 1. Tomor'row. 2. ig'norant. 3. ev'ery. 4. €u'-eum- 
ber. 5. a-e-eli'mate. 6. fi nan'ceg. 7. is' o late. 8. library. 
9. bl'gyele. 10. alternate (noun and adj.). 11. alternate 
or al tgr'nate (verb). 12. gon'do la. 1.3, jil'gu lar. 14. seVer al. 
15. -eas'si mere. 16. amateur'. 17. googe'ber ry. 18. ju've nile. 
19. fam'i ly. 20. eu'po la. 21. a rO'ma. 22. government. 23. 
le'ni ent. 24. dis. as'ter. 25. Syr'a -euse. 

113. 1. Gran'a ry. 2. ly ge'um. 3. dis. hon'est. 4. blas'- 
]>he my (-fe-). 5. hal'i but. 6. me -ehan'i-e. 7. me-eh'an ist. 

3. O'a ses. 9. sa-e'ra merit. 10. dom'i nie. 11. bron -ehl'tis. 12. 
her'o Ine 13. her'o i§m. 14. main'te nance. 15. on'er ous. 
16 saVri fice (-fiz). 17. -eo quet'ry (-ket'-). 18 hol'o caust. 
19 mes/merize. 20. pa'tri ot. 21 si'ne -cure 22. €ov'et ous. 
23 ho ri'zon. 24. ml as/ma. 25. pat'ron Ize. 

114. 1. Sub pce'na (-pe-). 2. de -ea'dence. 3. hand'ker chief. 

4. mis eon'strue. 5. pe'o ny. 6. sub sid'ence. 7. de faT-eate. 
8. hygiene 9. mol'e eale. 10. pie be'ian (-yan). 11. va ga'ry. 
12 det'i git. 13. lm'pi oils. 14. mu ge'um. 15 polonaise'. 
16 ve'he ment. 17. e ner'vate. 18. na'tion al (-shun-). 19. 
por'ce lain. 20. dis fran'chi§e. 21. in'dus try. 22. post'hu mous. 

23. dis'putant. 24. in qulr'y. 25. preventive. 

115. 1. Ex'qui sjte (-kwi-). 2. In'te gral. 3. prSb'i ty. 
4. pyri'te§. 5. rail'ler y. 6. quau'da ry (kwan' ), or quan da'ry. 
7. nausea (na,w'she a). 8. ra§p'ber ry. 9. whip-poor-will (hwip-). 



28 PRACTICAL ENGLISH, 

10 banana. 11. lieu ten'ant 12. mOn'itor. 13. aWe thjfet, 
14. lav'en der. 15. mar'i gOid. 16. glr €u lar. 17. -ebdr'is ter, 
18. reg'i ment. 19. maTa-ehite. 20. eglantine. 21. hy'a glnth, 
22. e6n sign ee'. 23. diagram. 24. dis gi'ple. 25. im p5s'tor, 

116. 1. Infantry. 2. ven'i §on. 3. succotash. 4. graphic 
cal. 5. environ. 6. chocolate. 7. pha'e ton. 8. avenue. 9, 
reservoir (rez er vw6r'). 10. pi az'za. 11 baluster. 12 colander. 

13. kangaroo. 14. pal met'to. 15 transparent. 16. arable. 
17. holiday. 18. medicine. 19. cylinder. 20. petition. 21. 
confession. 22. umbrella. 23. ignorance. 24. hemisphere. 
25. Keokuk. 

117. 1 Poughkeepsie (po klp'si) 2. Terre Haute (ter're- 
hot). 3. rotation. 4. integral. 5. division. 6. aliquot. 7. 
perversion. 8. celery. 9. gelatine 10. apricot. 11. pom gran'- 
ate. 12 cinnamon. 13. hospital 14 ve ran'da. 15. partition. 

16. compasses. 17. ich neu'mon. 18. catalpa. 19. precipice 
20. tillable. 21. kerosene. 22. charity. 23. deficient. 24. 
nauseate. 25. government. 

118. 1. Ignorance. 2. Chicago. 3. addition. 4. chicory. 
5. molasses. 6. gooseberry. 7. hurricane. 8. mu ge'um. 9. 
vasoline. 10. gridiron. 11. gorilla. 13. sycamore. 13. granary. 

14. aftermath. 15. Louisville. 16. aqueduct (ak'we dukt). 

17. hickory. 18. thirtieth. 19 maga zine'. 20. cataract. 21. 
chivalry. 22. especial. 23 algebra 24. St. Louis. 25. monu- 
ment. 

119. 1. Parallels. 2. mortally. 3. crocodile. 4. mucilage. 
5. difference. 6. varying. 7. merino. 8. velveteen 9. forci- 
ble. 10. hurrying. 11. worshipper. 12 excellent. 13. al- 
mighty. 14. metallic. 15. excellence. 16. hastening. 17. 
vegetable. 18. penetrate. 19. colonel. 20. tomahawk 21. 
maneuver. 22. epaulet. 23. militia. 24 fanciful, 25. primitive. 

EXERCISE 11. POLYSYLLABLES (142). 

120. 1. N5m' i na tive. 2. gem' e tery. 3. al lop' a thy. 
4. al lo path 7 ic. 5. ho me op' a thy. 6. ho me op' a thist. 7 
gum-ar' a bi€. 8. Ir re me' di a ble. 9. nG ; mer a' tion (shun). 
10. sa'r sa pa rll' la. 11. drom' e dary. 12. alteration. 13. 



PRONUNCIATION. 29 

hy gi en'ie. 14. lam' ent a ble. 15. le o maV ga riiie. 16. 
sa ti'e ty. 17. Feb' ru a ry. 18. ath e ne' um. 19. in ex o rable. 
20. me di o ere. 21. o rang'-ou tang'. 22. si mul ta' ne ous. 
23. bStaniz'ing. 24. min' i a ture. 25. pronunciation (pro- 
nun shi a' shun). 

121. 1. Ex tern' pore. 2. m5n o ma' ni a€. 3. neu raT- 
gi a. 4. va ri o loid. 5. zo 5l r o gy. 6. te leg' ra phy (-fy) 
7. pi* a no-for te. 8. so lie/ it or. 9. .al to gelh' er. 10. am mu- 
ni' tion (-nish' un). 11. miz' zen-mast. 12. -eal y «an' thus. 13. 
in ter r&g'a tive. 14. tab' er na «le. 15. €on vey' an ger. 16. 
in flam ma' tion (shun). 17. sear la ti*' na. 18. in teT li gent. 
19. gera'niiim. 20. hy dran'ge a. 21. pet it-ju' ry. 22. dys- 
pep'si a. 23. mag ne si a (-ne'zhi a or -ne' zha). 24. bou vaV- 
di a. 25. ne go'ti a ble (-shi-). 

122. 1. Cauliflower. 2. macaroni. 3. caterpillar. 4. ma- 
hogany. 5. America. 6. archipelago. 7. New Orleans. 8. 
Chillicothe. 9. as par' a gus. 10. saleratus. 11. tapioca 12. 
metropolis. 13. multiplication. 14. anaconda. 15. arbor- vitae 
16. lignum -vitae. 17. meridian. 18. peninsula. 19. San Fran- 
cisco. 20. Bat' on Rouge (-rdozh). 21. Cincinnati. 22. Minne- 
apolis 23. alligator. 24. chameleon. 25. Schenectady. 

123. 1. Military. 2. artillery. 3. exaggerate. 4. exhil - 
arate. 5. melodeon. 6. azalea. 7. anemone. 8. heliotrope. 
9. apothecaries. 10. avoirdupois. 11. aeronaut. 12. allegory. 
13. anniversary. 14. anonymous. 15. apparatus. 16, assim- 
ilate. 17. centennial. 18. indecency. 19. indigenous. 20. 
inoculate. 21. derogatory. 22. daguerreotype. 23. evangelic. 
24. deuteronomy. 25. effeminacy. 

EXERCISE 12. WORDS FROM THE FRENCH. 

124. 1. Apropos (ap' ro p5'). 2. bouquet (boo ka'). 3. 
coupe (koo pa'). 6. eclat (a kla"). 7. elite (a let'). 8. ennui 
(an we'). 9. mademoiselle (mad mwa zeT). 10. soiree (swa ra'). 
11. trousseau (troo so'). 12. badinage (-nazh'). 13. re eon' nois- 
sance. 14. roue (roo'a'). 15. naive (na*'ev). 16. naivete 
(na'evta'). 17. negligee (-zha'). 18. regime (ra'zhem'). 19. 
resume (ra'zu ma'). 20. qui vive (ke vevj. 21. mesdames (ma- 



30 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

dam'), 22. monsieur (mo ser', or mOs yur'). 23. attache. 
(a ta sha'). 24 cortege (kor'tazh). 25. co te rie'. 28. sobriquet 
(so bre ka'). 27. cuisine (kwe zen'). 28. messieurs (mas' yur' 
or mesh' yerz). 29. mo rails'. 30. rendezvous (rong'davoo or 
ren' de voo). 

EXERCISE 13. MISCELLANEOUS EXERCISES. 

125. Pronounce in rapid succession the words between the commas 
in the following paragraph, and read 120 and 127 without making a 
mistake in pronunciation. Additional exercises will be found in Spelling, 
33-72. 

Beef-broth, three-sixths, literally literary, knitting- 
needle, quit quickly, such a sash, puff up the fop, a velvet 
weaver, a cut of pumpkin, a knapsack strap, coop up the 
cook, a school-scuttle, veal and white wine vinegar, geese 
cackle and cattle low, cocks crow and crows caw, a shocking 
sottish set, she sells sea-shells, cloud-capped, laurel-wreath, 
linen lining, a comic mimic, rural railroad, Scotch thatch, 
statistics of sects, portly poultry, a wet white wafer, pick 
pepper peacock, I snuff shop snuff. — Bell. 

126. An Indian, attracted by the aroma of the coffee 
and the broth arising from the bivouac, moving down the 
path, met a bombastic bravo who was troubled with the 
bronchitis. The Indian being in deshabille, was treated 
with disdain by this blackguard, who called him a dog, and 
bade him with much vehemence and contumely leave his 
domain, or he would demonstrate by his carbine the use of 
a coffin and cemetery. The Indian calmly surveyed the 
dimensions of his European opponent, and being sagacious 
and robust, and having all the combativeness of a combat- 
ant, shot this ruffian in the abdomen with an arrow. 

.127. 

"Now, boys," the farmer said, " there'll be a row, 
If you upon the river go and row 



PRONUNCIATION. 31 

Ere supper time. Come help clear out the mow 
In which to put the hay that we shall mow 

To-morrow morn; when that is done, 1 'low 
You may, if then the sun is not too low, 

Go hunt and fish." So to our work we bow; 

Which done, we're off, with arrows, rod, and bow. 

— T. G. Taylor. 



PBONUNCIATION. 

128. A Word is the sign of an idea expressed by one or more articu- 
late sounds, or by characters representing those sounds. Words are either 
spoken or written. 

129. Pronunciation is the act of uttering the sounds combined t<> 
form words, separating those sounds into syllables, and giving the syllables 
the proper accent. 

130. An Initial Sound or Letter is the one at the beginning of a word 
or syllable ; as, /lange. 

131. A Final Sound or Letter is the one at the close of a word or 
syllable; as, Grantf. 



I. BOUNDS. 



132. A Vocal* (v.) is a sound made by the passage of voice unob- 
structed by the articulatory organs; as, a, e, i. o. u. (1 and 9-37.) 

133. A Subvocalj; (s.) is a sound made by the passage of voice ob- 
structed by the articulatory organs; as, b, d, eic. (2 and 38-53.) 

134. A Nonvocal\(n.) is a sound made by the passage of breath 
without; voice; as, c, t. (3 and 51-64.) 

135. The sounds are represented to the eye by letters, combinations 
of letters, and marks applied to letters. They are el issified and represented 
in 1-3 by the Phonetic, The Century, Webster's, and Worcester's notation. 

Note. — Many of the letters (Spelling. 91) used in spelling words are 
silent; /. e.. they have no sound. (65-82.) 

♦Sometimes called tonic 

t Sometimes called Subtonic or Sonant + Sometimes called Atonic or Surd. 



32 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

II. ORTHOEPIC PUNCTUATION, OR DIACRITICAL 

MARKINGS. 

136. Ortfwepic Punctuation is the use of marks to show the pronun- 
ciation. The marks used are the Macron (-), the Breve (-> ), the Dot (•), the 
Diaeresis (•• ), the Circumflex (^), the Cedilla 0) the Tilde (~), the Balance, 
or suspended bar ( A ), and the Accent ('). 

137. All vocal sounds represented in Webster's Dictionary by the 
use of a macron over a letter are called long sounds; by the breve, short; 
by the circumflex or tilde, modified. The diaeresis ( .. ) is also often used 
over the second of two vowels coming together to show that it is not silent ; 
as, co Operate. The accent mark (') is often put over the last vowel of a 
word to show that it is the basis of a separate syllable; as, walled (war* led). 



III. SYLLABLES* 

138 # A Syllable is one or more sounds made by a single effort of the 
voice; as, rogue 

139. A Monosyllable (m.)is a word of one syllable; as, go. (96-101.) 

140. A Dissyllable (d.) is a word of two syllables; as, 7iappy. (102- 
111.) 

141. A Trisyllable (t.) is a word of three syllables; as, excellent. 
(112-9.) 

142. A Polysyllable (p.) is a word of more than three syllables; as, 
in con gru i ty. (120-3.) 

143. Syllables are usually separated in dictionaries by a hyphen (-). 
To show the syllables in writing, join all the letters of a syllable, and leave 
a small space between the syllables. If a word must be divided at the end 
of a line, divide between syllables and put a hyphen at the end of the line. 



IV. SYLLABICATION 

144. Every vocal is the base of a separate syllable; as, ex am in a tion, 
(84.) 

145. Affixes* are generally separated from the base; as, tmfruit- 
ful. (85.) Most of the exceptions come under 144. 

146. The subvocal or nonvocal before the vocal of an accented 
syllable is joined to it; as, rhi noc e ros. (86.) 

* Both prefixes and suffixes are called affixes. 



PRONUNCIATION. 33 

147. A single subvocal or nonvocal between two vocals is joined to 
the first if it has the short English, the modified, or the obscure sound; as, 
metfal. (87.) 

148. A subvocal or nonvocal before I or r is joined to the I or r 
unless the preceding syllable is accented; as declaim, declamation. (88.) 

149. Two or more subvoc:ds or nonvocals between two vocals are 
generally separated by joining the first to the preceding vocal; as, sur- 
cin g\e. (89.) Most of the exceptions come under 145 and 148. 

Note. — Sometimes two letters have but one sound that is, one of them 
is really silent. But if that one sound is split in pronunciation, so as to 
join the first part of the sound to one syllable and the latter part of the 
same sound to the following syllable, both letters should be retained and 
separated; as, ke^le. 

150. A silent letter is generally joined to the syllable with which it 
would naturally belong if sounded; as, Christ mas. (90.) 



V. ACCENT. 



151. Accent is stress of voice upon a particular syllable of a word. 
It is represented by the accent mark (') placed immediately after and a 
little above the accented syllable; as, be lieve' '. 

152. Polysyllables generally have a primary, or principal accent, 
and a secondary accent; the former is represented by a heavier mark than 
the latter; as, in' con siol 9 er ate. 



VI. ACCENTUATION. 

153. Derivatives are generally accented on the base or as the base is 
accented; as, fear'tuh (90.) 

154. Dissyllables are generally accented on the first syllable; as, 
past' lire. (91.) Most of the exceptions come under 153, or the follow- 
ing note: 

Note.— A verb (Etymology, 73) having a noun (Etymology, 40) 
or an adjective (Etymology, 63) spelled the same, or an adjective having 
a noun spelled the same, is accented on the last syllable; as, cement' (verb), 
cem'ent (noun), Au'gust (noun), august' (adjective). (91.) 

155. Trisyllables and polysyllables are generally accented on the 
third syllable from the last (the ante penult); as, analysis. (92.) Most 
of the exceptions come under 153. 

156. Most words ending in ic y ics, ion, ial, ian, eous, or ions, have 
their accent on the next to the last syllable; as, econom'ic, creation. 
(94.) 



PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 



Pabt II. 



SPELLING 



BY 

E. R. BOOTH, A. B. 

Principal Technical. School, Cincinnati, O. 



One trivial letter ruins all, left out; 

A knot can choke a felon into clay; 

A knot will save him, spelt without a k; 

The smallest word has some unguarded spot. 

And danger lurks in i without a dot.— Holmes. 
Take care that you never spell a word wrong. Always, before you write a word, 
consider how it is spelt, and if you do not remember it. turn to a dictionary. It pro- 
duces great praise to a lady to spell well. — Thomas Jefferson. 



CHICAGO, ILL. 

A, FLANAGAN, Publisher 

1890. 



Copyrighted, 1889, 

BY 

A. Flanagan. 



CONTENTS. 



1. Letters. 

I 1 . Vowels (v.),* 
2 1 . Diphthong (d.), 
3 1 . Consonants (c), 
4 1 . Digraph (di.)> 



Definition, 92. 
Definition, 93. 
Definition, 94. 
Definition, 95. 



Exercises, 1* and 2 
Exercises, 1 and 2 
Exercises, 1 and 2 
Exercises, 1 and 2 



2. Orthographic Punctuation and Kinds of Letters, Definition, 9G 

3. Rules for Spelling, - Directions, 3 and 4 

l 1 . Plural Nouns. 

I 2 . Sounds that will unite with s, - Rule, 97. 

2 2 . Endings in ch, sh, s, x or z, - - R .le, 98. 

3 2 . Endings in i or u, - - Rule, 99. 

4*. Endings in y preceded by a Consonant, Rule, 100. 
5 2 . Any Part of Speech used as a Noun, Rule, 101. 
6 5 . Figures, Letters, and Signs, - Rule, 102. 



Exercise, 5 

Exercise, 6 

Exercise, 7 

Exercise, 8 

Exercise, 9 

Exercise, 10 

Exercise, 11 

Exercise, 12 

Exercise, 13 

Directions, 14 

Exercises, 15 and 17 

Exercises, 16 and 17 

Exercises. 1(5 and 17 



Rule, 103. 
Rule, 104. 
Rule, 105. 



7 2 . Foreign Nouns, 
8 2 . Compound Nouns, 
9 2 . Irregular Plurals, 

2 1 . Possessive Nouns, ... 

I 2 . Singular Number, - Ru e, 106. 

2 2 . Plurals not ending in s, - Rule, 107. 
3 2 . Plurals ending in s, - Rule, 108. 

3 1 . Simple Words. 

I 2 . Monosyllables ending in/ or l y - Rule, 109. Exercise, 18 
2 2 . Monosyllables ending in 5, - Rule, 110. Exercise, 19 

3 2 , Endings in the sound k y - - Rule, 111. Exercise, 20 

4 2 . Ieorei, - Rule, 112. Exercise, 21 

5 2 . Divided Words, - - - Rule, 113. Exercise, 22 

4 1 . Complex Words. 

I 2 . Base ending in e, - - - Rule, 114. Exercise, 23 

2 2 . Base ending in silent e, - Rule, 115. Exercise, 24 

3 2 . Base ending in y preceded by a Consonant, Rule, 116. Exer- 
cise, 25. 
4 2 . A Single Consonant preceded by a Single Vowel at the End 
of a Monosyllable or a Word accented on the last Sylla- 
ble, - - - Rule, 117. Exercise, 26 
5 2 . The Suffix ise or ize, - - Rule, 118. Exercise, 27 

* The symbols are in parentheses. The numbers indicate the paragraphs. 

3 



CONTENTS, 



5 1 . Compound Words. 

I 2 . Retaining their Accent, - Rule 119. Exercise, 28 

2 9 . All and full in Compounds, - Rule, 120. Exercise, 29 
6 1 . Miscellaneous Examples, - Directions, 30 -2. Exercises, 33-72 
7 1 . Numbers, - Rules, 121-8. Exercise, 73 

l 2 . Round Numbers and those less than One Hundred, Rule, 121 
2 2 . Sums of Money, ..... R u i e , 122 

3 2 .. Dates, Rule, 123 

4 2 . Street Numbers. - - . - . Rule, 124 

5 2 . The Hour of the Day, - Rule, 125 

6 2 . Large Numbers, - - - - Rule, 126 

7 2 . Decimals, Rule, 127 

8 2 . Numbers expressed in Letters, • - - Rule, 128 

8 1 . The First Letter Capitalized. 

I 2 . Beginning of a Sentence, - Rule, 129. Exercise, 75 

2 2 . Lines of Poetry, - - Rule, 130. Exercise, 75 

3 2 . Proper Nouns, - - Rule, 131. Exercise, 75 

4 2 . Names of Races or Nations, - Rule, 132. Exercise, 76 
5 2 . Titles, .... Rule, 133. Exercise, 76 

6 2 . Personified Things, - - Rule, 134. Exercise, 77 

7 2 . Pronouns referring to Deity, etc., Rule, 135. Exercise, 77 
8 2 . Enumeration of Particulars, - Rule, 136. Exercise, 78 
/and 0, Rule, 137. Exercise, 75 

Words in a Heading, - - Rule, 138. Exercise, 79 

After an Introductory Word, Rule, 139. Exercise, 78 

First word of a Direct Quotation, Rule, 140. Exercise, 80 
Important Words, - - Rule, 141. Exercise, 81 

9 1 . Words Capitalized or Italicized. 

I 2 . Headings, - - - Rule, 142. Exercise, 79 

2 2 . Words spoken of by Name, - Rule, 143. Exercise, 82 

3 2 . Foreign Words, - - Rule, 144. Exercise, 82 

4 2 . Titles of Books, etc., - - Rule, 145. Exercise, 82 

5 2 . Name at the Close of a Quotation, Rule, 146. Exercise, 75 
10 1 . Abbreviations. 

I 2 . Letter dropped at the End of a Word, Rule, 147. Exercises, 

83-4. 
2 2 . Letters dropped in Combining or Shortening Words, Rule, 

148. Exercise, 83-84. 
3 2 . Letters dropped which we do not Want to Write, Rule, 149. 

Exercise, 85. 
4 2 . States and Territories, - - - Exercise, 87 



9 2 . 

10 2 . 
II 2 . 
1 C J 
13 2 . 



5 2 . Miscellaneous, 



Exercise, 88 



SPELLING. 



EXERCISE 1. 



I. LETTERS. 

VOWELS, DIPHTHONGS, 
DIGRAPHS. 



CONSONANTS AND 



1. Before attempting this exercise, review Pronunciation, 1, 2, 3. 

Write the following words and show which letters are vowels (92); which, 

diphthongs (93); which, consonants (94); and which, digraphs (95), by 

writing the symbol for each letter under it; thus, use, chart. The letter p 

d c s di vcc 

after a word in this and the following exercises indicates that the pupil 
should show the pronunciation also. 



2. thieve. 
7. azure. 
11. grouse. 



3. boil. 



a wrung. 



2. 1. Shade, 
those. 6. useful 

10. strychnine p . 11. grouse. 12. hawk. 
14. poise. 15. perch. 16. gaiter. 17. adz 
19. knoll. 20. hillock. 21. scythe. 22. 
ninety, 24. pshaw p . 25. mulish. 



drought 15 . 5. 

9. diamond. 

13. tongue. 

18. birch. 

boggy. 23. 



II. RULES FOR SPELLING.* 

* Phonetic spelling is advocated by many of the best scholars in both England and 
America. If all our books and papers used such an alphabet as is given in Pronunciation, 
1-3, and followed the rules given below recommended by the Philological Society of London 
and the American Philological Association, the cost of setting the type would be reduced about, 
one-sixth. "Any one who carefully studies the subject will see that the English language 
not only is the most inconsistent in its spelling, but also could be readily improved in this 
regard without any offense to good taste or etymologic U interests. The present effor; at 
spelling reform should be encouraged by all educators." — Howard Crosby. 

TEN RULES 

1. Drop silent e when fonetically useless, writing -er for -re, as in live, single, eaten, 
rained, theatre, etc. 

2. Drop a from ea having the sound of e, as in feather, leather, etc. 

3. For o having the sound of u in but write u in above (abuv), tongue (tung), and the 
like. 

4. Drop o from ou having the sound of u in but In trouble, rough (ruf), and the like; for 
-our unaccented write -or, as in honour. 

5. Drop silent u after g before a, and in nativ English words, and drop final ue; guard, 
guess, catalogue, league, etc. 

6. Dubl consonants may be simplified when fonetically useless: bailiff, (not hall, etc.) 
battle (batl), written (writn), traveller, e'c. 

7. Change d and ed final to t when so pronounced, as in looked (lookt), etc., unless the e 
affects i he preceding sound, as in chafed, etc. 

8. Change gh and ph to/ when so sounded: enough (enuf), laughter (lafter), etc.; pho- 
netic (fonetic), etc. 

9. Change s to z when so sounded, especially in distinctiv words and in -ise: abuse, 
verb (abuze), advertise (advertize), etc. 

10. Drop t in tch: catch, pitch, etc. 

5 



6 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

•i* Spell each word in 5 to 28 inclusive according to the Rule for 
Spelling that applies to it. Observe that the opposite of a rule is not stated. 
See if the word answers to the terms of the rule; if it does, make the change 
required by the rule; if it does not, the idea implied in the rule is that the 
change should not be made. The exceptions to the rules are in Italics and 
should be thoroughly learned. 

4t. Be prepared to show why you do or do not make the change re- 
quired by the rule ; thus, pass. This word ends in * preceded by a single 
vowel, and is not an exception to the rule; therefore the s must be doubled. 
Prefer -fence = preference. This word is formed by using a suffix begin- 
ning with a vowel joined to a wo r d ending with a single consonant preceded 
by a single vowel; but the accent is nearer the beginning than in the 
original word: therefore the final r is not doubled. 

EXERCISE 2. PLURAL NOUNS (Etymology, 45). 

5. (97.) 1. Monarch. 2. sickle. 3. decree. 4. 
evening. 5. officer. 6. uncle. 7. feather. 8. volunteer. 

9. daughter. 10. Caesar. 11. comma. 12. talisman 1 '. 

13. skeleton. 14. German. 15. revenue. 16. people. 
17. peanut. 18. Canada. 19. diphthong p . 20. rosette. 
21. Sadducee. 22. examples 23. period. 24. Cherokee. 
25. puzzle. 

6. (98.) See also rule for spelling words ending in e 
silent (115). 1. Isthmus. 2. circus p . 3. prince. 4. 
sense. 5. village. 6. church. 7. Thomas. 8. rebus. 9. 
morass. 10. topaz. 11. marriage. 12. tax. 13. passage. 

14. intrigue 13 . 15. pouch. 16. caucus. 17. carriage. 18. 
lens. 19. orange. 20. Charles. 21. atlas. 22. duchess. 
23. rush. 24. carcass. 25. adz. 

7. (99.) 1. Echo. 2. motto. 3. cameo p . 4. cargo. 
5. negro. 6. rabbi. 7. Cicero. 8. potato. 9. alkali. 

10. bamboo. 11. Scipio. 12. gnu. 13. veto. 14. virago p , 
and many others. 

The following words generally add s only according 
to 97. 15. Quarto. 16. duodecimo. 17. domino. 18. 
tyro. 19. portico. 20. grotto. 21. octavo*. 22. embargo. 



SPELLING. 7 

23. albino*. 24. solo. 25. piano. 26. canto. 27. halo. 
28. junto. 29. Zasso. 30. memento. 31. proviso. 32. 
salvo. 33. /wo. 34. zero; sometimes 35. rabbi. 

8. (100.) 1. Attorney. 2. luxury p . 3. quay p . 4, 
effigy. 5. abbey. 6. lily. 7. volley. 8. misery. 9. 
Wednesday. 10. nicety. 11. subsidy. 12. alloy. 13. 
cherry. 14. alley. 15. Henry.* 16. dictionary 1 *. 17. 
turkey. 18. legacy. 19. foray. 20. cranberry. 21. Tues- 
day 1 ". 22. sentry. 23. nullity. 24. turnkey. 25. buoy. 

9. (101.) 1. If. 2. up. 3. and, etc. 4. He uses 
too many it — . 5. parse all the the — you can find. 

10. (102.) 1. q. 2. +. 3. 9. 4. i. 5. 7. 6. — . 
7. o. 8. *. 9. a. 10. 1, etc. 

11. (103.) 1. Genus (era). 2. terminus (i). 3. 
stratum. 4. oasis. 5. vertebra 1 *. 6. larva. 7. miasma- 
tum p . 8. chrysalis (eJpy sal'i des). 9. alumnus. 10. 
axis. 11. nebula. 12. radius. 13. calculus. 14. basis. 

The following have two plurals with the same meaning; 
one is formed according to 103, the other according to 
97 or 98. 15. Automaton 10 . 16. memorandum. 17. nucleus. 
18. vinculum. 19. encomium. 20. criterion. 21. calyx. 
22. medium. 23. focus. 24. formula. 25. gymnasium p . 

12. (104.) 1. Bluebird. 2. Vice-president. 3. 
thorough -bred. 4. post-office. 5. half-penny. 6. brake- 
man. 7. railway. 8. mouse-trap. 9. attorney-generaP. 
10. spoonful. 11. coach-man. 12. postal-card. 13. major- 
general. 14. hair-breadth p . 15. numskull. 16. iceberg. 
17. school-house. 18. brother-in-law. 19. hanger-on. 
20. pianoforte p . 

13. (105.) 1. Man. 2. foot. 3. mouse. 4. goose. 
5. woman p . 6. child. 7. tooth. 8. ox. 9. louse. 10. 
brother. 11. die. 12. genius. 13. fish. 14. index. 15. 

* Some writers follow 97 in spelling the plurals of proper names ending in y t 



8 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

penny. 16. pea. 17, cow. 18. bandit, 19. beau p . 20, 
seraph?. 

EXERCISE 3. POSSESSIVE NOUNS (Etymology, 51). 

14. Put an apostrophe ( ' ) and s t or the apostrophe only as required 
in place of each dash. 

15. (106.) 1. James- Bible. 2. Willis- Poems. 3. 
f or goodness p - sake. 4. Pilgrim- Progress. 5. Fox- Jour- 
nal. 6. Demosthenes p - orations. 7. his brother-in-law- 
house. 8. a week- vacation. 9. Washington- hatchet. 

16. (107-8.) 1. Travelers- home. 2. ladies- gloves. 

3. brethren 13 - feelings. 4. servants- wages. 5. teachers- 
institute. 6. women- work. 7. officers 1 '- regalia. 8. 
horses- heads. 9. three weeks- vacation. 10. three 
coats- sleeves. 

17. (106-8.) Write the possessive sing alar and plural 
of the following nouns : 1. Friend. 2. lily. 3. major-general. 

4. German. 5. thief. 6. squirreP. 7. sister. 8. court- 
martiaP. 9. trout. 10. President Adams. 

EXERCISE 4. SIMPLE WORDS (Lexicology 415). 

18. (109.) 1. Staff. 2. puff. 3. stiff. 4. hall. 

5. toll, and all other except, 6. clef. 7. if. 8. of. 9. pal. 
10. sol 

19. (HO.) 1. Grass. 2. fuss, and all others except 
3. as. 4. gas. 5. yes. 6. gris. 7. his. 8. is. 9. thus. 
10. us. 

20. (HI.) 1. Clock. 2. music. 3. barrack p . 4. 
hillock. 5. zinc. 6. politic. 7. peacock. 8. intrinsic 13 . 
9. bedeck. 10. epidemic. 11. knock. 12 elegiac p . 13. 
talc. 14. cynic. 15. zodiac. 16. knapsack. 17. epizoot- 
ic p . 18. fine 19. burdock. 20. hydraulic. 21. maniac. 
22. lack, and many others. The exceptions are, 23. click. 
24. lac. 25. sac. 26. roc. 27. soc. 28. almanac. 29. 



SPELLING. 9 

sandarac. 30. limbec. 31. manioc. 32. havoc. 33. sumac. 

34. quack. 35. derrick. 

21. (112.) 1. Brief. 2. frieze. 3. relief. 4. vie. 

5. freight. 6. reindeer. 7. conceive. 8. ceiling. 9. sein. 
10. sleigh. 11. aggrieve. 12. pierce. 13. seize. 14. hein- 
ous 13 . 15. reprieve. 16. mischief. 17. liege. 18. brevier. 
19. mien. 20. piece. 21. believe. 22. fiend. 23. eight, 
and most others, except, 24. their. 25. either. 26. neither. 
27. leisure. 28. inveigle. 29. weird,. 30. heifer. 31. 
sleight. 32. height. 33. kaleidoscope^. 34. counterfeit. 

35. forfeit. 36. surfeit. 37. foreign. 38. sovereign. 
39. mullein. 40. siege. 41. obeisance. 42. feeir. 

22. (113.) Look along the right hand side of the 
pages both above and below, and you will find many appli- 
cations of this rule. 

EXERCISE 5. COMPLEX WORDS (Lexicology, 416). 

23. (H4-) 1. Frolic+ing (frolicking). 2. rus- 
tic+ate. 3. colic+y. 4. demoniac+al. 5. classic +al. 

6. comic+al. 7. mimic+er. 8. poetic-f-al. 9. traf- 
ficking. 10. mimic +ry. 

24. (115.) Foreseeing. 2. behave +ior. 3. sense + 
ible. 4. rehearse+al. 5. fleece+y. 6. sacrifice +ing p . 

7. marriage+able. 8. service+able. 9. perverse-|-ness. 
10. improve -f-ment. 11. irksome+ness. 12. perceive-f-able. 
13. force +ible. 14. disagree+able. 15. |change+able. 
16. advantage+ous. 17. terse+ness. 18. rue+ful. 19. 
fuse+ible. 20. sale+able. 21. tame+able, and many 
others. The exceptions are, 22. duly. 23. truly. 24. 
argument. 25. ivholly. 20. awful. 27. nurseling. 28. 
wisdom. 29. hoeing. 30. shoeing^. 31. toeing. 32. dye- 
ing* 33. singeing* 34. springeing* 35. swingeing.* 

36. tingeing* The following words are spelled according to 

* What would be the meaning of the last five words if the e were dropped ? 



13 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

the rule, but the e is omitted by many authors; 37. 
judgement. 38. abridgement 13 . 39. acknowledgement. 40. 
lodgement. 

25. (116.) 1. Merry +rnent. 2. toy+ing. 3. inercy-f- 
ful. 4. whey -fey. 5. pretty +ness. 6 busy+ness. 7. 
assay+er. 8. modify+er. 9. alloy+ed. 10. essay+ed. 
11. annoy-f ed. 12. bury+al. 13. sleepy+ly. 14. baby-f- 
ish. 15. bouy+ancy. 16. pity-fing. 17. melody-fous. 
18. comely -f ness, 19. giddy+ness. 20. obey-f ing. Y is 
changed to e in, 21. beauteous. 22. duteous. 23. bounte- 
ous. 24. piteous, and 25. plenteous. The exceptions to 
the rule are in the derivatives, 26. daily. 27. laid. 28. 
lain. 29. paid. 30. said. 31. saiih. 32. slain. 33. staid, 
and their derivatives ; as, 34. mislaid. 35. underpaid, etc.; 
and the derivatives of, 36. dry (except drier, driest). 37. 
sly, 38. shy. 39. lady. 40. baby. 

26. (117.) Note carefully the conditions of the rule : (1) the 
suffix must begin with a vowel; (2) the base must be a monosyllable or a 
word accented on the last syllable; (3) the base must end with a single 
consonant (except h or x); (4) the single consonant must be preceded by a 
single vowel; (5) the accent of the base, if changed, must not be thrown 
forward. 

1. Swim-fing. 2. begin+ing. 3. travel-j-er. 4. 
vigor -fous. 5. infer+ence. 6. plan+ed. 7. repeal+ing. 
8. quarrel*+ed. 9. acquit+ed. 10. shag+y. 11. 
danger+ous. 12. cancel*-)- ed. 13. benefit-fed. 14. 
medal+ion. 15. refer-fed. 16. metal+ic. 17. abet+or. 
18. differ-fed. 19. seem-fing. 20. defer -fence. The 
following are exceptions: 21. humbug-\-ed. 22. chagrin-^- 
ed. 23. crystal-j-ine. 24. transfer -{-able. 25. inferrable. 
In derivatives of gas, s is not doubled. 

27. (118.) Put ize or ise in place of the dash at the 
end of each word. 1. Theor(y)— . 2. author — . 3. 

* Sometimes doubled contrary to the rule. 



SPELLING. 11 

drama (t) — . 4. advert — . 5. monopol — . 6. comprom — . 

7. memor(y) — . 8. surpr — . 9. organ — , and others. The 
exceptions are, 10. Recognize. 11. analyze. 12. merchan- 
dise. 13. paralyze. 14. anglicize. 15. criticise. 

EXERCISE 6. COMPOUND WORDS (Lexicology, 417). 

28. (119.) Write the words after each number as one 
word, using the hyphen where required by the rule. 
1. Figure head. 2. house wife. 3. sun sets. 4. master 
piece. 5. gun cotton. 6. some thing. 7. machine shop. 

8. stock exchange. 9. forty four. 10. merry making. 11. 
house keeper. 12. brides maid. 13. bed room. 14. rail 
way. 15. self sacrificing. 16. gentle folks. 17. panic 
stricken. 18. bonnet boxes. 19. three cornered. 20. hand 
kerchief. 21. bird's eye. 22. grand mother. 23. sister 
in law. 24. woman hater. 

25. I saw a cow slip through the fence 
A house fly in a store ; 
I saw a wood chuck up the road, 
And a stone pick on the floor. 

29. (120.) 1. All ways. 2. up hill. 3. well bred. 
4. hand full. 5. with all. 6. care less. 7. all together. 
8. bliss full. 9. all ready. 10. full fill. The exceptions 
are, 11. Allspice. 12 chilblains. 

EXERCISE 7. MISCELLANEOUS WORDS TO BE SPELLED BY 

RULE. 

30. See if the word belongs to any of the classes for which rules are 
given, viz.: Plurals, Possessives, Simple Words, Complex Words, Com- 
pound Words, or Abbreviations. 

31. See if the word accords with the conditions of any rule; if it 
does, follow the requirements of the rule, unless the word is an exception; 
if it does not, it is not an exception, but the converse of the rule applies; 
that is, do not make the change demanded by the rule. 

32. Most of the following words are spelled according to ^ome rule 
given. State the peculiarity of each word, place it under some rule, then 



12 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

quote tii ■ rule, thus: Forgotten is a complex word from the base, forgot and 
the suffix, en. The suffix begins with a vowel; the base is accented on the 
last syllable, ends with a single consonant (t), is preceded by a single vowel 
(o), and the accent is not thrown forward. Therefore, the final consonant 
(t), is doubled according to the rule: " Complex words formed by adding a 
suffix beginning with a vowel to a monosyllable or a word accented on the 
last syllable ending with a single consonant (except h or x) preceded by a 
single vowel, double the final consonant, except when the accent is thrown 
nearer the beginning. " Black is a simple word ending in the sound k 
represented by c, not preceded by *, ia y ua, or a consonant. Therefore k is 
added according to the rule, " Words ending with the sound k represented 
by c, not preceded by i, ia, ua, or a consonant, generally take k after the c. 
Note.— In written work put after the word the number of the para- 
graph containing the rule that applies; thus, seige — 112. happiest — 116. 

33. 1. Manage+er. 2. rob+ing. 3. bear-fable. 4. 
allot+ed. 5. luxury+ous. 6. wool+y. 7. compel +ed. 
8. change -(-able. 9. account+ant. 10. lily.* 11. com- 
pete+ent, 12. innuendo.* 13. mouse, f 14. bird's+eye. 

15. grate+er. 16. piece. 17. obeisance p . 18. heathen-f- 
ish. 19. agon(y).** 20. invent+or. 21. sale+able. 

22. noise-fy. 23. contempt-f-ible. 24. steam -f engine. 
25. pity+full. 

34. 1. Arm+full. 2. bamboo. 3. seignior. 4. seine. 
5. straggle+er. 6. Wolf.f 7. argonaut.* 8. sacrilege-f 
ious p . 9. lynx.f 10. use-f-age. 11. sphere+ical. 12. 
judge+ing. 13. plot+er. 14. star+y. 15. ceremony.* 

16. exist-fenee p . 17. brace+ing. 18. charge+ed. 19. 
berry.* 20. shine+y. 21. mosquito p .* 22. fairies, f. 

23. forty-ftwo. 24. priest. 25. bear-f-er. 

35. 1. Blue-f-ing. 2. scrutin(y).** 3. deplore-fable. 
4. corrupt-|-ible. 5. mercy+seat. 6. fierce+ness. 7. 
all+most. 8. perceive+able s . 9. luxury-)-ant p . 10. re- 
pare-}- able p . 11. embryo.* 12. kaleidoscope. 13. frontis- 
piece. 14. coincide+ence. 15. Pocahontas.* 16. remit-f- 

* Spell the plural of those with an asterisk after them. 

+ Spell the possessive singular and plural of those with a dagger after them. 
** Put ise or ize according to the rule where the double asterisk is given. 



SPELLING. 13 

ance. 17. stamen.* 18. opossum, f 19. conspire+acy. 
20. potj-age. 21. achieve +ed. 22. cornply+ance. 23. 
squat +er. 24. hearty -|-est. 25. modify -f-er. 

36. 1. Serene-j-ity. 2. sense+less. 3. outrage+ous. 
4. grieve-j-ance. 5. buffalo.* 6. mulatto.* 7. piano. f 
8. aphis.* J 9. series. 10. perceive. 11. idol.** 12. 
solemn.** 13. reverse-f-ible. 14. incompare+able p . 15. 
mercy -f ful. 16. death -(-bed. 17. virago.* 18. aerie p . 
19. heiress. 20. funnel -(-shaped. 21. Francis Drake, f 
22. chromatic. 23. parson-)- age. 24. land-j-lady. 25. 
ibex.* 

37. 1. Admire +able p . 2. virtue+ous. 3. clan+ish. 
4. lazy-fer. 5. copy+ist. 6. jewel+er. 7. refer+ence p . 
8. calico.* 9. ladies, f 10. every + thing. 11. grief. 
12. kerchief. 13. deceit. 14. harmon(y).** 15. sym- 
pathy).** 16. note+able. 17. warrant+able. 18. dis- 
cord+ant p . 19. osier p . 20. mummy. j- 21. corpse.* 22. 
advise-f-ed. 23. fat-f-er. 24. forgot-f-en. 25. saucy+est. 

38. 1. Fancy-f-full. 2. quarrel+ing. 3. prefer-)- able. 
4. echo.* 5. women. j- 6. heart's+ease. 7. liege. 8. 
friend. 9. finance+ier p . 10. rev.** 11. pity+able. 
12. accept+ably. 13. intermit+ent. 14. transient. 15. 
maximum.* 16. plague+iug p . 17. thin+ish. 18. alloy -f- 
ed. 19. melody.* 20. breeze+y. 21. tunnel-f-ed. 22. 

refer -f ee. 23. grotto.* 24. Scruggs & Co.f 25. emerald-f- 
green. 

3$). 1. Lien p . 2. inveigh. 3. mimic+ry. 4. ap- 
olog(y).** 5. system (at).** 6. rule+able. 7. dis- 
cern -f-ible. 8. two+leg-f-ed. 9. cigarette.* 10. ultima- 
tum.* 11. sale-f-able. 12. acqu it-j-ing. 13. happy-j-ly. 
14. modify-fing. 15. noisy+est. 16. umbrage-f-ous p . 

* Spell the plural of those with an asterisk after them. 

t Sp -11 the possessive singular and plural of those with a dagger after them. 
** Put ise or ize according to the rule where the double asterisk is given. 
\ A forcig i word, 



14 PBACTIOAL ENGLISH. 

17. colloquy.* 18. portico. 19. calves, f 20. achieve. 

21. thief. 22. conceit. 23. legal.** 24. superv.** 25. 
receive -[-able. 

40. 1. Digest+ible. 2. buffalo.* 3. nosegay.* 4 
habeas-corpus.* 5. sleight. 6. ghost +ly. 7. rogue-f-ish. 

8. occur+ed. 9. dainty+ness. 10. enjoy.* 11. refuse-f- 
al p . 12. flee+ing. 13. chimney.* 14. dollar.f 15. 
green+sward p . 16. bier. 17. shriek. 18. physic-fed. 
19. equal.** 20. symbol.** 21. tame-fable. 22. re- 
pair-f-able p . 23. turnkey.* 24. pulley.* 25. field+piece. 

41. 1. Skein. 2. ready +ly. 3. blue+ish. 4. admitt- 
ing. 5. pity-f-less. 6. baby+ish. 7. cudgel-fed. 8. 
tinge-f-ing p . 9. money.* 10. children. f 11. where-f 
abouts. 12. pierce. 13. wield. 14. phthisie-fy p . 15. 
enterpr.** 16. dip-fer. 17. response -f-ible. 18. de- 
scend -fent. 19. chimney.* 20. blue-f bells. 21. index.* 

22. mien. 23. god-f ly-f ness. 24. shrewd-fly. 25. 
defy-f ance. 

EXERCISE 8. MISCELLANEOUS WORDS NOT SPELLED 
ACCORDING TO RULE. 

42. But few of the following words are spelled according to rule. 
Study them till you can spell and use them correctly. Give special atten- 
tion to the pronunciation of those marked p. 

43. 1. Caw. 2. coral. 3. basque p . 4. lozenge. 5. 
whortle-berry. 6. succotash. 7. hearth p . 8. tureen. 

9. fruitful. 10. plane. 11. hyena. 12. raccoon. 13. 
circus. 14. barrow. 15. twelfth. 16. windrow. 17. stub- 
born. 18. sentinel. 19. fourteen. 20. gospel. 21. dis- 
solve 13 . 22. balance. 23. misspell. 24. excel. 25. aloe. 

44- 1. Ambulance. 2. canopy. 3. delaine. 4. fairy p . 
5. toiler. 6. travel. 7. gossamer. 8. daily. 9. frivolous. 

* Spell the plural of those with an asterisk after them. 

t Spell the possessive singular and plural of those with a dagger after them, 
** Fut ise or ize according to the rule where the double asterisk is giyen t 



SPELLING. 15 

10. cancellation 15 . 11. dairy p . 12. soliloquy. 13. mag- 
got. 14. basilisk p . 15. science. 16. tailor. 17. parallel. 
18. bulrush. 19. gaudy. 20. florid. 21. artillery. 22. 
knapsack. 23. stern. 24. capstan. 25. syringa p . 

45. 1. petunia. 2. stigma. 3. scruple. 4. priest. 
5. service. 6. rheumatism. 7. scrofula p . 8. ferrule p . 

9. vigor. 10. lucid. 11. lathe p . 12. anger. 13. jackal. 
14. rhinoceros. 15. rivulet. 16. clayey. 17. mystery. 
18. gypsy. 19. disastrous p . 20. extreme. 21. unhealthy. 

22. misquote. 23. horrible. 24. honorable. 25. birchen. 

46. 1. Exhort p . 2. grievous. 3. baize. 4. sleek. 
5. fleecy. 6. interval. 7. cancel. 8. elapse. 9. laxity. 

10. ballot. 11. motor. 12. crystallize. 13. donkey. 
14. pulley. 15. stimulant. 16. gnat p . 17. boa. 18. 
janitor. 19. ancient. 20. college. 21. welfare. 22. lucid. 

23. erysipelas p . 24. burglar. 25. influenzal 

47. 1. Ague. 2. physic. 3. caineloparcP. 4. cocoa 1 . 
5. creek. 6. muck. 7. pasture. 8. weapon. 9. chronic. 
10. blotch. 11. trudge. 12. expel. 13. laughter. 14. 
decade p . 15. cheviot. 16. corduroy. 17. drama p . 18. 
coarse. 19. aromatic. 20. marshal. 21. newt p . 22. 
myriad. 23. banyan. 24. fountain. 25. clench. 

48. 1. Dredge. 2. gosling. 3. Yankee. 4. hunger. 
5. azure. 6. alphabet 13 . 7. camels. 8. pennant p . 9. cash- 
mere. 10. kersey. 11. levity. 12. rancid. 13. almost. 
14. especially 13 . 15. pistil. 16. calyx. 17. circumference. 
18. luggage. 19. coupon. 20. consignor. 21. clause. 
22. colporteur p . 23. testament. 24. litany. 25. ruffian. 

49. 1. Apparel. 2. croquet p . 3. crochet?. 4. duchess. 
5. imperil. 6. malice p . 7. petrify. 8. putrefy?. 9. ver- 
dant. 10. appetize, 11. crisis. 12. crises. 13. dungeon. 
14. imbecile. 15. malign p . 16. pestilence. 17. quad- 
rille. 18. ventilate. 19. armory. 20. condiment. 21. 



16 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

economy. 22. idiocy 13 . 23. mammoth. 24. permeate. 
25. raiment. 

50 # 1. venom. 2. assessor. 3. cologne p . 4. ele- 
ment. 5. ice-floe. 6. marriage. 7. perfidy. 8. rancor. 
9. veneer p . 10. athlete. 11. collapse. 12. embarrass. 
13. hybrid. 14. martyr. 15. pedant. 16. quadruped. 
17. utilize. 18. avalanche p . 19. coercion. 20. embel- 
lish. 21. guttural p . 22. mastodon. 23. paradise p . 24. 
ratchet p . 25. usurp p . 

51. 1. Acid. 2. trellis. 3. demagogue?. 4. senate. 
5. directory. 6. lacquer p , 7. Ealeigh p . 8. laxative. 9. 
porous. 10. turbid. 11. progeny p . 12. wrestle p . 13. 
meadow. 14. agitate. 15. harrow. 16. decorous. 17. 
discipline 1 '. 18. angelic. 19. decisive 5 . 20. discourse. 
21. isinglass p . 22. lexicon. 23. pompous. 24. propel. 
25. witticism. 

52. 1. Anodyne p . 2. debit. 3. dissipate. 4. install. 
5. license 13 . 6. placid p . 7. protestant. 8. wily p . 9. 
apology. 10. contestant. 11. dissuade p . 12. informant. 
13. litigate. 14. piston. 15. province. 16. volatile. 17. 
appall 13 . 18. conscience 11 . 19. divorce. 20. irrigate. 21. 
liturgy. 22. pumice p . 23. pomace p . 24. purgative. 25. 
vermin. 

53. 1. Vermilion p . 2. caramel. 3. emphasize. 4. 
fricassee 1 '. 5. moccasin 1 '. 6. parable. 7. savage. 8. strata- 
gem 13 . 9. tyranny. 10. catalogue 13 . 11. endeavor. 12. 
flippant. 13. strategy. 14. tuition 13 . 15. recipe 13 . 16. 
troche 13 . 17. challenge 1 '. 18. endurance. 19. straiten. 
20. guidance. 21. evaporate. 22. regicide p . 23. stratify. 
24. trachea 13 . 25. exhale?. 

54. 1. Telegram. 2. fossil. 3. monogram. 4. tenta- 
cle. 5. infamous 13 . 6. termagant 13 . 7. frenzy. 8. silhou- 
etted 9. timorous. 10. spurious. 11. galaxy. 12, 



SPELLING. 



17 



14. acme. 15. vaccinate 13 , 



18. exodus. 
22. ellipsis?. 



19. obelisk. 
23. opera p . 

4. metaphor. 
8. cascade 13 . 



stencil. 13. nasturtium 1 '. 
16. nucleus. 17. oxygen. 
20. cannibal. 21. seolian. 
24. alkali. 25. origin. 

55. 1. Balm?. 2. climax. 3. frigid?. 
5. obedience. 6. sheriff. 7. whimsical. 
9. isthmus p . 10. resources. 11. vehemence?. 12. ava- 
rice?. 13. pebbly. 14. aesthetic. 15. luncheon?. 16. 
geysers?. 17. simile. 18. reminiscence. 19. reprieve. 
20. sanctity. 21. alacrity. 22. lettuce?. 23. Philadelphia^ 
24. evolution. 25. modification. 

56. 1. Vicious. 2. despair. 3. amalgamate. 4. ankle?. 
5. metonomy. 6. paucity. 7. defense. 8. nightingale?. 
9. bowsprit. 10. analogy. 11. coffee?. 12. perimeter. 
13. parallelogram. 14. examine?. 15. arson. 16. auxili- 
ary?. 17. anatomy. 18. paragraph. 19. adduce?. 20. 
polygon. 21. reticence. 22. saunter?. 23. anglicize. 
24. personal. 25. Savannah?. 

57. 1. Gondola. 2. chew?. 3. transcend. 4. ratio?. 
5. anomaly. 6. issue?. 7. flotilla. 8. suicide. 9. gon- 
dolier. 10. murmur. 11. pauper?. 12. apprentice. 13. 
pretentious. 14. assurance. 15. obey?. 16. beryl. 17. 
accuracy. 18. forge?. 19. atrocity. 20. oscillate. 21. 
flaunt?. 22. Briton. 23. toward?. 24. nuisance. 25. 
tenacity. 

58. 1. Funereal?, 
shrub?. 5. compass 

8. office?. 9. disparity. 10. implicit. 
12. egotism. 13. miscreant. 14. many? 
16. vaccine?. 17. hound?. 18. zealous. 
20. vertical. 21. fallow?. 22. insurance. 
24. epitaph?. 25. complement. 

59. 1. Incisive?. 2. rhetoric. 3. feebly. 



2. continuance. 3. St. Louis. 4. 
6. testimony. 7. temperance. 

11. coffin?. 

15. tiller. 

19. Arabi'. 

23. scenery. 

4. pina- 



18 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

fore p . 5. polygamy. 6. pert p . 7. dispatch. 8. skeleton. 

9. Zeus p . 10. indicative. 11. coordinate 13 . 12. rapacity. 

13. sagacity 13 . 14. deplete. 15. island 13 . 16. apposition. 

17. masculine. 18. lawsuit. 19. fallacy. 20. carbuncle. 

21. auspices p . 22. hilarity. 23. scrawP. 24. perverse. 
25. gizzard p . 

60. 1. Genesis. 2. Arctic p . 3. imperative. 4. con- 
nivance. 5. Britain 13 . 6. larceny. 7. vaccinated 8. ex- 
peditious. 9. puny p . 10. sacrilege. 11. pessimists 12. 
nullify. 13. thwartV 14. lobelia. 15. necessary. 16. 
prairie 13 . 17. radical. 18. vigilance. 19. pneumatic 1 '. 
20. treason. 21. quaint 13 . 22. onyx. 23. barytone p . 
24. diocese. 25. prism p . 

61. 1. Inflexible. 2. phosphorus 13 . 3. rescind. 4. as- 
sault. 5. worm p . 6. sanity. 7. detriment. 8. gloss p . 9. garnet. 

10. plateau p . 11. assessment. 12. desiccate 13 . 13. fuchsia. 

14. Tosemite p . 15. incentive. 16. invincible. 17. swear p . 

18. deacon. 19. balmy p . 20. extremes. 21. peremptory p . 

22. rarefy. 23. payee 13 . 24. italicize. 25. shrank 13 . 

62. 1. Cambric p . 2. perpendicular. 3. solecism 1 '. 
4. diagonal. 5. chickadee 13 . 6. temerity. 7. area p . 8. 
satellite. 9. coalesced 10. acre. 11. alas 13 . 12. lineage. 
13. reparation 13 . 14. feminine. 15. sofa p . 16. trapezoid. 
17. coterie p . 18. ominous. 19. grasp p . 20. pollen. 21. 
hoist p . 22. prodigy. 23. priority. 24. satin p . 25. neuter. 

63. 1. confectionery p . 2. nihilism. 3. balustrade 13 . 
4. formula. 5. Palestine 13 . 6. secrecy. 7. tariff. 8. mi- 
grate 13 . 9. crescent. 10. consummate 13 . 11. revelation. 
12. relegate 13 . 13. hollyhock. 14. petal. 15. Bismark p . 
16. pyramid. 17. pleiades p . 18. vacillate. 19. cor- 
roborate. 20. captious. 21. shoaP. 22. confederacy. 

23. Ithaca. 24. redundant. 25. territory. 

64. 1. Oraunch p . 2. delineate. 3. Berlin p . 4. pleon- 



SPELLING. 19 

asm. 5. apothecary. 6. dolorous p . 7. percussion. 8. 
sweet-scented 13 . 9. advalorem. 10. primary. 11. cynosure 1 *. 

12. insensible. 13. petticoat p . 14. carnelian. 15. hypo- 
crisy 13 . 16. proboscis. 17. Asia p . 18. liabilities. 19. 
subordinate. 20. tutor p . 21. verbena. 22. plagiarize 13 . 
23. horizontal. 24. synopsis. 25. declension. 

05. 1. Ellipse p . 2. intolerant. 3. truant p . 4. tansy. 
5. Beasonsfield p . 6. alligation. 7. nectarine p . 8. sup- 
pliant. 9. quench p . 10. catnip. 11. malicious, 12. Orion?. 

13. copulative. 14. gayety. 15, deodorize. 16. rural 13 . 
17. efficiency. 18. Iowa p . 19. etymology. 20. celibacy. 

21. therefore. 22. sepal. 23. emanate. 24. variegate p . 25. 
installment. 

66. 1. Scale p . 2. tragedy. 3. deliverance. 4. liquid 13 . 
5. promissory. 6. thatch p . 7. enamor. 8. redolent?. 
9. begonia. 10. diplomacy?. 11. trenchant. 12. pro- 
montory?. 13. sacrament. 14. Italian p . 15. scintillate. 

16. conscientious?. 17. daisy. 18. ostracize. 19. helle- 
bore. 20. suet p . 21. abstinence. 22. Disraeli?. 23. com- 
parison. 24. romance?. 25. mullein. 

67. 1. Haunt p . 2. countenance. 3. scalene 13 . 4. par- 
ticiple?. 5. tenacious. 6. abutilon. 7. fac- simile?. 8. 
eulogize. 9. prejudice?. 10. retinue. 11. square?. 12. 
explicit. 13. mask p . 14. resource 13 . 15. plaintiff. 16. 
isosceles 13 . 17. prevalence. 18. excavate. 19. suppurate. 
20. assured 21. sour-crout, sour-krout, or sauer-kraut p . 

22. evidence. 23. necessity. 24. ne'er p . 25. firmament. 

68. 1. Dreamt 13 . 2. synagogue. 3. supplement. 4. knives?. 
5. infinitive. 6. devour. 7. flagrant. 8. fiscal?. 9. rum- 
mage. 10. wrought?. 11. declarative. 12. screen?. 13. 
schooner. 14. embassy. 15. piquancy 13 . 16. peremptory. 

17. jasmine. 18. sanitary. 19. hemorrhage?. 20. sap- 



20 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

phire p . 21. serenade. 22. marine p . 23. superlative. 24. 
sanitary. 25. honorary. 26. optimist. u 

69. 1. Fray p . 2. explanatory. 3. Evangeline p . 4. ex- 
clamatory. 5. pentateuch p . 6. telescope. 7. phlox p . 
8. frigate. 9. paroxysm p . 10. pernicious. 11. powder p . 
12. hypothenuse. 13. ostentatious p . 14. mignonette p . 

15. requisite 13 . 16. register. 17. stereotype 13 . 18. rig- 
ging. 19. Cairo p (U. S.), Cairo p (Egypt). 20. rhomboid. 
21. interesting 13 . 22. deprecate. 23. canoe p . 24. repartee p . 
25 proposition. 

70. 1. Menagerie p . 2. facetious. 3. purloin p . 4. re- 
pugnant. 5. Natches p . 6. brilliant. 7. recurrence 1 '. 
8. presbyter. 9. Archimedes p . 10. proprietor. 11. rational 1 '. 
12. mollify. 13. language. . 14. felony. 15. alpaca 1 '. 

16. mnemonics 13 . 17. monarchy. 18. monotony. 19. in- 
terlocutor 13 . 20. righteousness. 21. preparation 13 . 22. exile p . 

23. traitor. 24. turquois p . 25. monetary. 

71. 1. Piracy 13 . 2. affidavit. 3. auction. 4. mis- 
demeanor. 5. Danish 13 . 6. infectious. 7. labyrinth. 
8. laboratory p . 9. stupefy. 10. awkward 1 '. 11. mercenary. 
12. mirage 13 . 13. propagate. 14. maritime 1 '. 15. almanac. 
16. tirade 13 . 17. carouse. 18. equity 1 '. 19. invisible. 
20. anaesthetic 13 . 21. courtesy. 22. caucus 1 '. 23. legacy. 

24. Persia 13 . 25. tribune p . 

72. 1. Intersperse 13 . 2. interstice 13 . 3. observance. 
4. panacea 13 . 5. resonant. 6. resuscitated 7. scurrilous 13 . 
8. odorous. 9. chilly. 10. gingham 13 . 11. disease. 12. fero- 
cious. 13. species ]) . 14. sprinkle 13 . 15. epoch. 16. flan- 
nel. 17. paper-weight 13 . 18. cower. 19. Genoa p . 20. 
precocious. 21. dilatory. 22. acquiesce 13 . 23. trichinae p . 
24. Arabic p . 25. auburn. 



SPELLING. 21 

EXERCISE 9. NUMBERS. 

73. Rewrite the following, if not already written 
according to rule, and show how the rule applies in each 
example (121-8.): 1. 1,000. 2. 49. 3. Thirty-eight 
dollars. 4. December twenty-third, one thousand eight 
hundred eighty-nine. 5. Feb. 1, /87. 6. Two hundred 
five Olive St. 7. The horse trotted yesterday at 10:35; 
time, 2:27. 8. 3,874,516,209. 9. Thirty-seven hundreths. 
10. XIV. 11. What is the difference between twenty five- 
cent pieces, and twenty-five cent pieces ? 

EXERCISE 10. CAPITALS AND ITALICS. 

74. Write the following, using capitals (96) and Italics (96) where 
required. Apply not only the rules given at the beginning of each para- 
graph, but also those given before. 

75. (129, 130, 131, 137, 146.) 1. education is the 
chief defence of nations. — burke. 

2. "god bless the man who first invented sleep! " 
so sancho panza said, and so say i. — saxe. 
3. jehovah. 4. hudson's bay. 5. o! 6. tuesday. 7. jersey 
city. 8. missouri. 9. i am an american citizen. 
10. vengeance to god alone belongs, 
but when i think of all my wrongs, 
my blood is liquid flame. — scott. 

76. (132-3.) 1. great salt lake. 2. european. 3. elm 
street. 4. prof, george 1. osborne. 5. lake geneva. 6. judge 
stewart. 7. sir francis bacon. 8. hoosier. 9. lieutenant- 
colonel. 10. general Johnson. 11. the duke of Wellington. 
12. rev. dr. brookes. 13. sucker. 14. b. s. newland, a.m. 
15. o excellent scipio! 16. february. 17. quadroon. 
18. the apostle paul was formerly saul of tarsus. 19. vice- 
president morton. 20. the term buckeye is applied to 
natives of ohio. 



22 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

77. (134-5.) 1. mortals that would follow me, 

love virtue; she alone is free. 

— milton. 

2. what a cunning silver smith is frost! — j. russel lowell. 

3. our trust is in him who guides. 4. give ear, o shepherd 
of israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock. — bible. 

5. here rests his head upon the lap of earth 
a youth to fortune and to fame unknown. 

78. (136-9.) 1. resolved, that language is of divine 
origin. 

2. the expenses were, — 

1. for rent ----- $25.00 

2. for repairs - - - - 8.35 

3. for furniture - - - 17.60 



Total - $50.95. 

3. be it enacted, that after jan. 1, 1890, etc. 

4. benjamin franklin. 

1. parentage. 

2. when and where born. 

3. early education. 

4. apprenticed to a printer. 

5. experiments with electricity. 

5. be it enacted by the commonwealth of massachusetts, 
that a tax, etc. 

79. (138.) 1. bancroft's history of the united states. 
2. how i spent my holiday. 3. Whipple's essay on webster. 
4. love's labor lost. 5. holbrook's complete english gram- 
mar. 

80. (140, 142.) 1. a sentence contains a complete 
thought; as, art is long. 2. let me ask the question why 
should you study ? 3. One truth is clear, " whatever is, is 
right." 4. coleridge says, " experience is the best school- 



SPELLING. 23 

master.' 5 5. (Notice the fonts of typo used in leadings in 
this book.) 

81. (141.) For examples see any book on Botany, 
Zoology, or other special subject. 

82. (143-5.) 1. the suffix er means one who; as, 
talker, mower. 2. have you read my wife and i ? 3. he 
was president de jure. 4. to be is a verbal. 5. can you 
recite your lesson verbatim et literatum ? 

EXERCISE 11. ABBREVIATION. 

83. (147-8.) 1. Prof O W Holmes, MD, resides 
in Mass. 2. weve (we have). 3. oer (over). 4. tis. 

5. Ive seen Mr J C Long, of N Y 6. cant. 7. theyll 
(they will). 8. 2 bu 1 pk 4 qt 1 pt 9. I met a 
fool i the forest. — Shakespeare. 10. The orn of the unter 
is eard on the ill. 

84. (148,) Write the following abbreviations, and 
th3 words from which they are derived after them in paren- 
thesis: 1. A' n't 2. e'er. 3. I'd. 4. ne'er. 5. hadn't. 

6. I'll. 7. couldn't. 8. hasn't. 9. I'm. 10. sha'n't, 
11. didn't. 12. he'd. 13. doesn't. 14. he'll. 15. isn't. 
16. 'twill. 17. don't. 18. he's. 19. ma'am. 20. won't. 

85. (149.) A few of the names of the pupils will furnish enough 
practice. 

8(5. Study the following lists till you can speU all the words and 
write the meaning of each abbreviation, or the abbreviation when the 
meaning is given. 

87. STATES AND TERRITORIES. 



Alabama, 


Ala. 


District of Columbia 


D. C. 


Alaska, 


Alaska. 


Delaware, 


Del. 


Arizona, 


Ariz. 


Florida, 


Fla. 


Arkansas, 


Ark. 


Georgia, 


Ga. 


California, 


Gal. 


Idaho, 


Idaho 


Colorado, 


Colo. 


Illinois, 


111. 


Connecticut, 


Conn. 


Indian Territory, 


Ind. 1 



24 



PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 



Indiana, 


Ind. 


New York, 


N. Y. 


Iowa, 


Iowa. 


North Carolina, 


N. C. 


Kansas, 


Kans. 


North Dakota, 


N D. 


Kentucky. 


Ky. 


Ohio, 


0. 


Louisiana, 


La. 


Oregon , 


Oreg. 


Maine, 


Me. 


Pennsylvania, 


Pa. or Penn 


Maryland, 


Md. 


Rhode Island, 


It. I. 


Massachusetts, 


Mass. 


South Carolina, 


S. C. 


Michigan, 


Mich. 


South Dakota, 


S. D. 


Minnesota, 


Minn. 


Tennessee, 


Tenn. 


Mississippi, 


Miss. 


Texas, 


Tex. 


Missouri, 


Mo. 


Utah, 


Utah 


Montana, 


Mont. 


Vermont, 


Vt. 


Nebraska, 


Neb. 


Virginia, 


Va. 


Nevada, 


Nev. 


Washington, 


Wash. 


New Hampshire, 


N. H 


West Virginia, 


W. Va. 


New Mexico, 


N. Mex. 


Wisconsin, 


Wis. 


New Jersey, 


N.J. 


Wyoming, 


Wyo. 


88. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 





@, at. 

A. B. or B. A., Bachelor of Arts. 

acct., account. 

A. D., In the Year of our Lord. 

aet., aged. 

Alex., Alexander. 

A. M. or M. A., Master of Arts. 

A. M , Before noon, 
amt., amount. 
Anon , anonymous, 
ans., answer. 
Apr., April. 

atty., attorney. 
Aaig., August, 
av. or ave., avenue. 

B. A. (see A. B.). 
bal., balance. 

bbl,, barrel; bbls., barrels. 

B. C, Before Christ. 

Benj., Benjamin. 

bro., brother ; bros., brothers. 

bu., bushel, bushels. 

Ca., Canada. 



capt., captain. 

cen., century 

cf. (confer), compare. 

Chas., Charles. 

Co., Company, County. 

C. 0. D. , collect on delivery. 
Col., Colonel. 

coll., college, collector. 

cr., creditor, credit. 

f or ct., cent ; cts., cents. 

cwt., hundred weight. 

d., a penny. 

d. or da., day, days. 

Danl. Daniel. 

D. D., Doctor of Divinity. 

D. D. S., Doctor of Dental Surgery. 

Dec, December. 

do. (ditto), the same. 

doz., dozen. 

Dr., Doctor. 

dr., debtor, debit. 

E., East. 

ea., each. 



SPELLING. 



25 



Edw , Edward. 

e. g. (exempli gratia), for example. 

Eug., English. 

Esq , Esquire. 

etc., and others. 

ex., example, exercise. 

Feb., February. 

Fred., Frederick. 

Fri., Friday. 

ft., foot, feet. 

gal., gallon ; gals., gallons. 

Gen., General, 

Geo., George. 

Gov., Governor 

h. or hr., hour, hours. 

hdkf, handkerchief. 

hhd , hogshead ; hhds., hogsheads. 

Hon., Honorable. 

id. (idem), the same. 

i. e. (id est), that is. 

inst., instant, or the present month. 

Jan., January. 

J as., James. 

Jno., John. 

Jos., Joseph. 

Jr. or Jun., Junior. 

lat., latitude. 

lb., pound ; lbs., pounds. 

Lt. or Lieut., Lieutenant. 

LL. B., Bachelor of Laws. 

LL. D., Doctor of Laws. 

long , longitude. 

M. (Meridian), noon. 

M. A. (see A. M.) 

Maj., Major. 

Mar., March 

M. C , Member of Congress. 

M. D.. Doctor of Medicine. 

mdse., merchandise. 

Messrs., Gentlemen. 

min., minute. 

Mile., Mademoiselle. 

Mine., Madame. 



mo., month months. 

Mon., Monday. 

Mr., Mister. 

Mrs., Mistress. 

MS , Manuscript; MSS., Manuscripts. 

M. S., Master of Science. 

mt., mountain. 

N. North. 

N. B. (Nota Bene), note well, or take 

notice. 
N. B., New Brunswick. 
N. E. New England, 
no., number ; nos., numbers. 
Nov., November. 
N. S., Nova Scotia, New Style. 
Oct., October. 
O. S., Old Style. 
oz., ounce. 
p., page; pp., pages, 
payt., payment. 
%, or per cent, by the hundred. 
Ph. D., Doctor of Philosophy. 
P. M., Postmaster. 
P. M. (Post Meridian), Afternoon. 
P. O., Post Office. 
Pres., President. 
Prof., Professor. 
pro tern, (pro tempore), for the time 

being, 
prox., of the next (month). 
P. S., Postscript, 
pwt., pennyweight, 
qt., quart ; qts., quarts, 
reed., received. 
Rev., Reverend. 
Robt., Robert. 
R. R., Railroad. 
Saml., Samuel. 
S., South. 
Sat., Saturday, 
schr., schooner. 
Sec, Secretary, second. 
Sen. or Sr., Senior. 



26 



PRACTICAL ENGLISH, 



Sept., September. 

sq. ft., square foot, square feet. 

St., Saint. 

St., Street ; Sts., streets. 

Sun., Sunday. 

Supt , Superintendent. 

Tlieo., Theodore. 

Thos., Thomas. 

tr., transpose. 

Tues., Tuesday. 

Thurs., Thursday. 

ult., the last month. 

U. S., United States. 



U. S A , United Stales Army, Uni- 
ted States of America. 
U. S. M., United States Mail. 
U. S. K, United States Navy. 
viz. (videlicet), to-wit, namely, 
vol., volume; vols., volumes. 
vs. (versus), against. 
W., West. 
Wed., Wednesday. 
Wm, William. 
wt. t weight, 
yd., yard ; yds., yards, 
yr., year, years. 
&c , and so forth. 



SPELLING. 



89. Orthography is that division of language which treats of letters 
and their correct use is forming words. 

90. Spelling is the act of forming words from letters. . 



I. LETTERS. 

91. A Letter is a character used to represent a sound or a combination 
of sounds made by the organs of speech. (1, 2.) 

92. A Vowel (v.) is a letter representing a vocal sound ; as a, e. (1, 2.) 

93. A Diphthong (d.) is one or two vowels representing a com.- 
bination of two vocal sounds The only real diphthongs are, i — af, 
u rr iu, oi or oy = at, and ou or ow = du. Such combinations as ea in head 
are neither diphthongs nor digraphs according to the definition, because only 
one letter is sounded ; the other is silent. (1, 2.) 

94. A Consonant (c.) is a letter representing a sub vocal or a non vocal 
sound ; as, b, e. (1, 2.) 

95. A Digraph (di.) is a combination of two letters representing one 
sound The only real digraphs are eh, sh th, and z — zh. (1, 2.) 

Note. — A Silent letter (s.) has no sound ; as, e in made. 



SPELLING. 



27 



II. ORTHOGRAPHIC PUNCTUATION AND K1ND3 

OF LETTERS. 

9G. Orthographic Punctuation is the use of marks to show the spell- 
ing. The marks used are the Caret (A or V), the Apostrophe ( ' ), the 

Hyphen ( -), the Period ( . ), the Ellipsis ( * * * * or .... or ■ ) t and 

the diagonal line ( / ). There are also a great many different kinds of 
letters used in printing. The following are the most common : 



AS TO FORM. 

ROMAN CAPITALS. 

ROMAN SMALL CAPITALS. 

Roman Lower-case. 
ITALIC CAPITALS. 

ITALIC SMALL CAPITALS. 

Italic lower-case. 



AS TO STYLE, 



Old Style. 

GOTHIC. 
FULL, FACE. 

ANTiaUE. 

©lir iEngitsf). 
(Serman Geyt. 



AS TO SIZE. 

Diamond. A, B, 0, etc, a, b, c, etc. 
Pearl. A, B, C, etc. a, b. c, etc 

Agate. A, B, C, etc. a, b, e, etc. 

Non pa reil'. A, B, C, etc. a, b, c, etc. 

Min ion. A, B, C, etc. a, b, c, etc. 

Bre vier'. A, B, C, etc. a, b, c, etc. 

Bour geois. A, B, C, etc. a, b, c, etc. 

Long prim er. A, B, C, etc. a, b, c, etc. 

Small pi ca. A, B, C, etc. a, b, c, etc. 

Pi ca. A, B, C, etc. a, b, c, etc. 

English. A, B, C, etc. a, b, c, etc. 

Great prim er. A, B ? 0, etc, a, b, c, etc. 



28 PEACTICAL ENGLISH. 

III. RULES FOR SPELLING. 

1. PLURAL NOUNS (Etymology, 45). 

97. The plural of nouns ending with a sound that will unite with s 
is generally formed by adding s; as, desks. (5.) Most of the exceptions 
coma under 99. 

98. The plural of nouns ending in the sound ch, sh, s, x, or z, is 
formed by adding es to the singular; as, dashes. (6.) 

99. The plural of nouns ending in *, o, or u, preceded by a con- 
sonant, is generally formed by adding es to the singular; as, gnu^s. (7.) 
There are a few exceptions which come under 97. 

100. The plural of nouns ending in y preceded by a consonant, is 
generally formed by changing y to % and adding es; as, sky, sk*e«. Proper 
nouns sometimes adds only; as, Henrys. (8.) 

Note.— The singular form of verbs (Etymology, 83) is formed in accord- 
ance with the above rules for forming the plural of nouns. 

101. The plural of any part of speech used as a noun is formed by 
adding s to the word; as, ands. (9.) 

102. The plural of figures, letters, and signs is formed by adding an 
apostrophe (') and s to the singular; as, h's, 10' s + 's. (10.) Some writers, 
however, omit the apostrophe in the plural of letters and signs. 

103. The plural of foreign nouns ending in a } is, um, us, or x is 
generally formed by changing a to ce or ata: is to es or ides; um or on to a; 
us to * or era; and x to ces or ices; as, larva, larvas. (11.) 

104. The plural of a compound noun in which the hyphen is 
required (119) is generally formed by pluralizing the base (Lexicology, 
420) ; as, sons-in-law. Those in which the hyphen is not required, always 
pluralize the last part; as redbirds. (12.) 

105. Many plurals are formed irregularly; as, oxen; others have 
two plurals with different meanings; as, fishes, fish. (Lexicology, 392.) 
These can be learned only by the general study of English. (13.) 

2. POSSESSIVE NOUNS (Etymology, 51). 

106. The possessive singular of nouns is formed by adding an apos- 
trophe (') and s to the singular; as, child's. (15 3 17.) 

107. The possessive plural of nouns with the plural ending in any 
other letter than s is formed by adding an apostrophe ( ' ) and s to the plural; 
as, children's. (16-7.) 

108. The possessive plural of nouns with the plural ending in s is 
formed by adding an apostrophe (') only to the plural; as, houses' roofs. 
(16-7.) 



SPELLING. 29 

3. SIMPLE WORDS (Lexicology, 415). 

109, Monosyllables ending in / or I preceded by a single vowel, 
generally double the / or I; as, call, cujf. (18.) 

HO. Monosyllables ending in s preceded by a single vowel, generally 
double the s; as, lass. (19.) 

Note. — When the s is used to form the possessive or the plural form of 
a noun (Etymology, 45) or the singular form (Etymology, 83) of a verb, 
it is not doubled; as, loves. 

111. Words ending with the sound k represented by c not preceded 
by »", ia, ua, or a consonant, generally take the k after the c; as, rac&. (20.) 

112. In using ie or ei put i before e except when sounded as long a 
or preceded by the sound c; as, liege, conmt, fright. (21.) 

113. In writing part of a word on one line and part on another, the 
letters of a syllable must not be separated ; put a hyphen ( - ) after the last 
syllable on the first line. (22.) 



4. COMPLEX WORDS (Lexicology, 416). 

1 14. Complex words formed by adding a suffix to a word ending in 
the sound k represented by c, take k before a suffix beginning with e, i, or 
y; as, rollicking. (23.) 

115. Complex words formed by adding a suffix beginning with a 
vowel to a word ending in silent e, not preceded by another e, drop the e; 
as love +ing— loving; but when the e is preceded by another e, or by c or 
g, and the suffix begins with a or o, the e is retained; as, change + able = 
changeable. (24.) 

116. Complex words formed by adding a suffix not beginning with 
i to a word ending in y preceded by a consonant, generally change the y to 
i; as, rely +ed=relied. (25.) 

Note. — Most of the exceptions to this rule are adjectives of one 
syllable. 

117. Complex words found by adding a suffix beginning with a 
vowel to a monosyllable or a word accented on the last syllable, ending 
with a single consonant (except h or x) preceded by a single vowel, double 
the final consonant except when the accent is thrown nearer the beginning; 
as, run +er= runner, confer +ed= conferred. (26.) 

Note. — In words ending with I, some good writers double the I con- 
trary to the rule; as, traveler. 

118. Complex words formed by adding the suffix ize or ise, require 
ize when the part without the suffix (perhaps, slightly changed) has a kind- 
red meaning. Thus, organ and organize are kindred in meaning; chast and 
chastise are not . (27.) 



30 PBAOTICAL ENGLISH. 

5. COMPOUND WORDS (Lexicology, 417). 

119. Compound words retaining the accent of each part, must have 
their parts separated by a hyphen; as, hocus-pocus, Jew's-harp. (28.) 

Note 1. — In dictionaries the syllables are often separated by a hyphen; 
if so, the hyphen between the parts of a compound word is made heavier 
and longer; as, lieu-ten- ant-general. (28-) 

Note 2. — When a noun is used as an adjective it should not be taken 
as a part of a compound word, unless one of the words has lost its accent; 
as mountain top, Sunday school. (28.) 

Note 3 — The words expressing a number consisting of tens and units 
form a compound word, and should be separated by a hyphen; as, eighty -six. 
(28.) 

120. Compound words formed from all ox full, generally drop one I 
when the hyphen is not required; as, ixtiffll; in other cases the double 
letter is generally retained; as, crosswise. (29.) 

6. NUMBERS. 

121. Round numbers and numbers less than a hundred are generally 
spelled out; but where statistics are given figures should be used, however 
small the numbers may be. (73.) 

122. Sums of money should be written in figures, and in important 
papers spelled out also. (73.) 

123. Dates should be written in figures, but in legal ('ocuments they 
may be spelled out to prevent fraud or mistake, (73.) 

Note. — The figures denoting the century are sometimes omitted and 
the apostrophe (')ora line ( / ) used instead; as, '89, or / $9. (73.) 

124. Street numbers are written in figures. (73.) 

125. The hour of the day is generally written in figures with a colon 
between the hours and minutes. Two places are always used to represent, 
the minutes; as, 8:50 A. M., 10:03 P.M.; minutes and seconds are expressed 
in the same way; as, 2:40 (2 min., 40 sec). Sometimes they are written 
thus: 10^, 2^2-; and the numbers are often separated by a space; as, 2 40. 

126. A large number is generally separated into periods of three 
places each by a comma; as, 48,765. (73.) 

127. A decimal is written by putting a period before it; as, .945. 
(73.) 

128. A number expressed in letters, except in paging, must have a 
period after it; as, X., XVII. (73.) There is a tendency among writers to 
disregard this hitherto imperative rule. 

7. THE FIRST LETTER CAPITALIZED. 

129. Every sentence should begin with a capital; as, John went off. 
(75.) 



SPELLING. 31 

130. Every line of poetry should begin with a capital ; as, 

' Tis pleasant, sure, to see one's name in print, 

A book's a book, although there's nothing in't. — Byron. 

(75.) 

131. Proper nouns and words derived from thetn should begin with 
a capital ; as, Jane. (75.) 

Note. — When two or more words are used as the name of one person 
or thing, each one should begin with a capital; as, John /Sherman. (75.) 

132. Names of races or nations begin with a capital; as, Creole, 
Booster, Yankee, etc.; but not gypsy, negro, quadroon, etc. (76.) 

133. Titles of office, honor, and respect, whether spelled in full or 
abbreviated, should begin with a capital, except when the title is explained 
by a noun; as, Jfajor, General, The apostle John. 

Note.— Compound titles, like Attorney- General, Vice-President, etc., 
should have both words capitalized. (76.) 

134:. Words representing things personified, should begin with a 
capital; as, Justice and Divine Vengeance pursued Crime. (77,) 

135. Pure pronouns (Etymology, 5S) referring to the Deity, or to 
the Saviour, are capitalized when used in direct address without an antece- 
dent, or to prevent confusion, where, with an antecedent, other pronouns 
are used; as, O Thou who rulest all things. (77.) 

136. Each item in an enumeration of particulars, or an outline, 
arranged on separate lines, or numbered (unless the numbers are in paren- 
thesis), should begin with a capital; as, Reading serves, 1. To improve the 
mind; 2. To delight the imagination; and, 3. To perfect the character. 
(78 and 26.) 

137. The words 1 and should begin with a capital. (75.) 

138. The first word and every noun, adjective (except a, an, and the); 
verb, and adverb in a heading should begin with a capital; as, The Relation 
Capital Bears to Labor. (79.) 

139. The first word after an introductory word, phrase, or clause 
should begin with a capital; as, Besolved, That the, etc. (78.) 

140. The first word of a direct quotation, a direct question, or a 
clause or sentence used as an example, should begin with a capital; as. 
Pope wrote, ■ ' Know thyself. " (80.) 

141. In works treating of special subjects, important words may be 
capitalized for the sake of emphasis or other purposes. But this is a matter 
of taste and judgment; as, A Noun is a name. (81.) 

8. WORDS CAPITALIZED OR ITALICIZED. 

Three lines drawn under a letter or word, in manuscript, show that it 
is to be printed in CAPITALS; two in small capitals; one, in Italics 



32 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

142. Headings of compositions, chapters, etc., should be capitalized. 
(79.) 

143. Words or parts of words spoken by name or used as examples, 
should be Italicized; as, the verb to be. (82.) 

144. Words from foreign languages written with our alphabet should 
be Italicized when they occur in an English sentence; as, It was a bona 
fide sale. (82.) 

145. Titles of books, pictures, etc,, used in a sentence, are sometimes 
Italicized; but quotation marks are better; as, Have you read Milton's 
Poradise Lost? or, Have you read " Milton's Paradise Lost "? (82.) 

146. The name of the author at the close of a quotation should be 
printed in Italics or small capitals; as, He is well paid that is well satisfied 
■—Shakespeare. (75.) 

9. ABBREVIATIONS. 

147. Most abbreviations, especially where letters are dropped from 
the end of a word, end with a period, as, III. for Illinois (83.) 

148. Letters dropped in combining or shortening words are generally 
represented by the apostrophe; as, can + not = can't, the bud=th' bud. 
(83-4.) 

149. Letters omitted from a word which we do not want to write in 

full are generally represented by the ellipsis ( or, . . . . ); as, 

J s— James or Jones. (&&.) 

150. Intervening numbers, and like parts of numbers, are often 
represented by a dash; as, 14-6, means 14, 15, and 16. 



PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 



Paet III. 



LEXICOLOGY 



E. R. BOOTH, A. B. 

Principal. Technical School, Cincinnati, O. 



How forcible are right word3.— Job, 

Often in words contemplated singly there arc boundless stores of moral and his 
toric truth, and no Jess of passion and imagination, laid up. — Trench. 

Old English is the right key to the understanding of modern English, and those 
who will not use this key will never open the lock with all their fumbling. — Skeats. 

Accustom yourself to reflect on the words you use, hear, or read, their birth, deriva 
tion, and history. For if words arc not things, they are living powers, by whicli the 
things of most importance to mankind are actuated, combined, and humanized.— 
Coleridge. 



CHICAGO, ILL. 

A. FLANAGAN, Publisher. 

1890. 



Copyrighted, l«89, 

BY 

A. Flanagak. 



CONTENTS. 



1. Origin op Words, ------ l* 

l 1 . Simple, or Primitive Words, (s.*), - - Definition, 415 

2 1 . Complex, or Derivative Words, (a), - - Definition, 416 

3 1 . Compound Words (co.), - - - Definition, 417 

2. Parts of Words. 

I 1 . Prefixes (p.), - 2-4. Definition, 418. Exercises, 4-45 

2 1 . Suflixes (s.), - - 46. Definition, 419. Exercises, 47-114 

3 1 . Bases (b.), - - 115-7. Definition, 420. Exercises, 118-332 

3. Simplicity, —Labored Style, Bombast, or Affectation, 333-338. 

Definition, 422. 
I 1 . Anglo Saxon and Familiar Words, - Exercises, 339-344 

2 1 . Classical and Technical Words, - - Exercises, 345-8 

4. Purity, - - - - 349-352. Definition, 423 

l 1 . English, — Foreign, - - Definition, 424. Exercise, 353 

2 1 . Modern, — Obsolete, - Definition, 425. Exercise, 354 

3 1 . Authorized or Established, — Unauthorized, Definition, 426. Exer- 
cises, 355-6. 
4 1 . Universal, — Local or Provincial, Definition, 427. Exercises, 357-8 
5 1 . Reputable, — Slang or Vulgar, Definition, 428. Exercise, 359 

5. Accuracy, ----- 360. Definition, 429 



1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 



. Paronyms, - - 361. Definition, 421. Exercises, 362-3 

. Homonyms, - 364. Definition, 430. Exercises, 365-377 

. Synonyms, - - 378-9. Definition, 431. Exercises, 380-3 

. Antonyms, - 384-5. Definition, 432. Exercises, 386-390 

. Plurals, ----- Exercise, 391 

. Pure Pronouns, ----- Exercise, 393 

. Conjunctive Pronouns, - - - Exercises, 394-5 

. Prepositions, ----- Exercise, 396-7 

. A, an, and the, - - - Exercises, 398-402 

. Auxiliaries, - 403-410. Exercise, 411 

. Miscellaneous Words, - Exercise, 412-3 



*The numbers indicate the paragraphs. The symbols are in parentheses, 

3 



I. ORIGIN OF WORDS. 

1. On an examination of passages selected from modern English 
authors, it is found that of every hundred words sixty are of Anglo-; axon 
origin, thirty of Latin, five of Greek, and all the other sources combined 
furnish the other five. By actual count there are more words of classical 
than of Anglo-Saxon origin in the English vocabulary, — probably two 
and a half times as many of the former as of the latter. But Anglo-Saxon 
words are so much more employed — owing to the constant repetition of 
conjunctions, prepositions, adverbs, auxiliaries, etc. (all of Anglo-Saxon 
origin) — that in any page of even the most Latinized writer they greatly 
preponderate. In the Bible, and in Shakespeare's vocabulary, they are in 
the proportion of ninety per cent.— Sicinton. 



ft. PARTS OF WORDS. 

1. PREFIXES (418). 

2. The original form of the prefixes is put first in each 
paragraph in bold faced type. If there are variations of that 
form so as to enable it to assimilate in sound more perfectly 
with the syllable to which it is prefixed, they are put in paren- 
theses. The language from which they come is then given ; 
L. for Latin, G. for Greek, F. for French, and A. S. for Anglo- 
Saxon. Then follow the meanings in Italics. A small p 
to the right and above calls attention to the pronunciation ; 
in all cases of doubt consult the dictionary. A smaM s calls 
for the spelling ; in most cases a rule for its spelling 
applies, which the pupil should be able to give. 

3. In the examples, the various forms are illustrated 
by one or more words, the prefix being given in each case 
in bold faced type. Many other examples will be found in 
Exercise 3 in which it will be necessary to attach the proper 
prefix to given bases. Explain a sufficient number of words 

5 



6 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

to impress upon the mind the force of the prefixes. In 
many instances, the word itself with the meaning of the 
prefix is the best definition that can be given. In others, a 
freer definition is necessary to show the meaning of the 
word as now used. Thus, com* with, and mix, form commix, 
which means to mix with. Di, asunder, and vert, form 
divert, which means to turn asunder. If the pupil cannot 
get a clear definition from the composition of the word and 
his own knowledge of its use. he should consult the dic- 
tionary. Let the pupils select other words with the pre- 
fix studied, and call to mind words having certain prefixes 
dictated by the teacher. 

EXERCISE 1. PREFIXES. 

4. A, (alb, abs), L.,from, away; avert, abjectP, abstain. 

5. A, (an), G., without, not; atheist, anarchy, apathy. 

6. A, A. S., at, to, in, on; abed, afar, astern. 

7. Ad, (a, ac, af, ag, al, an, ap, ar, as), L., to; adhere, 
accede, afflict, aggrieve 8 , allude, announce, append, arrive, assign. 

8. Ante, (anti), L., before; antecedent, anticipate. 

9. Anti, (ant), G., against, over, opposite ; antithesis?, antarctic. 

10. Be, A. S., to make, all over ; bedaub, benumbp, befriend. 

11. Bi, (bis), L., tico; biped, bisextileP, biscuit. 

12. Circum, (circu), L., around; circumference, circuit. 

13. Con, (co, cog*, col, com, cor), L., with, together ; converse, 
cohere, cognate?, collect, compose, correspond. m 

14. Co intra, (contro, counter), L., against; contradictP, con- 
trovert, counteract. 

15. T>e 9 L., down, from; depend, deduce, descendp. 

1G. Dis, (di, dif), L., asunder, apart, the opposite of; disableP, di- 
verge, differ. 

17. En, (Em), G , in, on; encircle, emphasisP, enthusiast. 

18. En, (em, irai), L., to make; enable, empower, impoverish?. 

19. Epi, G., upon; epitaph, epidemic, epigram. 

20. Ex, (e, ec), L., out, from; exclaimP, export, educe, eccentric. 

21. Extra, L., beyond; extraordinary, extravagant. 

22. Fore, A. S., before; foretell, forenoon, forebode foreman. 

23. For, A. S., not, from; forget, (to get from; i. e. away f rom the 
mind), forbid, forbear/ 



LEXICOLOGY. 7 

24. In, (il, im, ir), L., in verbs and nouns means in. into, on, upon; 
include, inhale, illusion^, impel, irruption. 

25. In, (ig*, il, im, ir), L , in adjectives means not; insane, 
ignoble, illegal, immoral, irregularP. 

2G. Inter, L., between, among ; intercede, international?. 

27. Mis, A. S., wrong ; misguide, misconduct*', misplace. 

28. Nou, L., not; non-conductor 8 , noii-combatantP, nondescript. 

29. Oi>, (oc, of, op), L., in the icay, against?; obtrude, occur, 
offend, oppress, object. 

30. Out, A. S., beyond, more than ; outdoP, outlive, outbid. 

31. Over, A. S., above ; overhang, overturn, overrule 

32. Per,( pel), L. , through, thoroughly; pervade, perceiveP, pelluc d. 

33. Post, L., after, behind ; postscript, postmortem?. 

34. Pre, L, before/ prefix, precedeP, prevent. * 

35. Pro, L ,fjr, Jorward; pronoun, proclaim, propel, progressP. 

36. Re, L., back, anew ; return, revoke, reclaim, recollectP. 

37. Retro, L., backward; retrograde, retrospect 

38. Se, L., aside, apart ; secede, separate 8 . 

39. Sub, (sue, suf, sup, sus), L , under, below ; subscr.be, suc- 
ceed, suffuseP, suppress, suspend. 

40. Super, (sur), L., above, over; superfine, surmount. 

41. Syn, (syl), G., together, with; synthesis? syllable. 

42. Trans, (tra), L., across, beyond, over ; transpose, traduce. 

43. Un, A. S., before a verb means to take off, to reverse; unroll, 
undo; Before an adjective, not; unable, uncertain. 

44. Under, A. S., under, beneath; underbid, undermine. 

45. With, A. S., from, against; withstand, withdraw. 

2. SUFFIXES (419). 

46* The suffixes are arranged on precisely the same 
plan as the prefixes (2-45). Follow the instruction there 
given for determining the meaning of a word. Be as literal 
as possible in defining, but be sure that you always appre- 
ciate the meaning. Thus, the word boy and the suffix ish 
form boyish, which means like a boy. Libr-\-ary— library, 
which means a place where books are kept. It should be 
borne in mind that many suffixes are very much changed 
from the form in which they appear in the language from 
which they are derived. 



8 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

EXERCISE 2. SUFFIXES. 

47. Able, (iole, ble), L., able, that may be, fit to be, worthy of ; 
amicable?, blamable 8 , soluble, teachable, digestible, visible. 

48. Ably, (ibly, bly), hastate of being; amicably, perceptibly. 

49. Aceous, (acious), L., full of like, having the quality of; 
crustaceous, pugnacious. 

50. Aey, L , being, state of being; accuracy, celibacy, privacy. 

51. Age, F., state of being, ihat which, allowance for, collection of, 
act of; bondage, wharfage, cartage, carriage, foliage, herbage. 

52. Al, (ial, eal), L., of, 'pertaining to, act of; naval, mental, 
social, paternal, removal 8 , filial, perusal, renewal, recital, monitorial?, 
corporeal. 

53. An, (n^ ain, ian), L., belonging Jo, relating to, one who; 
Republican, captain, American, Christian, plebeian?. 

54. Ance, (ancy), L., being, state of being, act of; constancy, 
ignorance, repentance 8 , abundance. 

55. Ant, L., one who, that which; assistant, defendant, depend- 
ant, observant, pleasant. 

56. Ar, L., one who. of like, pertaining to; globular, circular. 

57. Ard, (art), A. S., one who, that which; sluggard 8 , braggart. 

58. Ary, L., one icho, the place where, pertaining to; adversary 8 , 
missionary, aviary, apiary, luminary, boundary. 

59. Ate, L., one who, to make, full of having or being; animate, 
renovate?, regulate, desperate, passionate, facilitate, debilitate, 

60. Cle, (cnle), L., little, small; animalcule?, corpuscle. 

61. Dom, A. S., domain of, state of being; kingdom, dukedom 8 . 

62. Ed, A. S., did; relieved 8 , trusted, magnified 8 . 

63. Ee, F. ,one to whom, one who; absentee, refugee, mortgagee?. 

64. Eer, (ier), F., one toho; grenadier?, auctioneer, brigadier. 

65. En, A. S., small, made of to make; maiden, kitten, moisten, 

66. Ence, (ency), L., being, state of being, act of; innocency, elo- 
quence, existence 8 , absence, diligence, impudence?. 

67. Ent, (lent), L>, being, one who, that which; potent, agent, 
president, student, pestilent, violent, virulent. 

68. Er, A. S., more, one who, that which; greater, builder, tender, 
fender, biographer, philosopher. 

69. Ery, (ry), A.S , place, condition; gentry , pantry, floweryp. 
TO. Es (see s). 

71. Escenee, L., state of becoming; convalescence 3 . 

72. Escent, L., becoming; convalescent?, quiescent. 

73. Ess, (ress), F., female; lioness, shepherdess, conductress, 

74. Est,* A. S., most; largest, homliest 8 , hottest 8 . 

* Est and eth are endings for the sacred styles of the verb (Etymolo&y, 79), (105.) 



LEXICOLOGY. 9 

75. Ful, A. S., full of; truthful, watchful, deceitful, joyful*. 

76. Fy, L., to make; qualify, rectify, beautify 8 , fortify, purify. 

77. Hood, A. S , state or quality of being; childhood, girlhoods . 

78. Ic, (ical« see 52), L., like, made of pertaining to; academic, 
oceanic, astronomical 5 , academical?, cubical 8 . 

79. Ice, L., person, the thing, that; notice, service 5 . 

80. Ics, (ic), G., the science of the art of; ethics, arithmetic. 

81. Id, L., quality, pertaining to; frigid?, splendid, torrid?. 

82. He, L., belonging to, may or can be; fragile, febrile, juvenile. 

83. Ine, L., pertaining to; feminine, infantine, canine, heroine?. 

84. Ing, A. S., the act of continuing ; building - , rehearsing' 8 . 

85. Ion, L., the art of, state of tying; expansion, rebellion 8 . 

86. Ise, (ize), G., to make; idolize 8 , criticise* scrutinize. 

87. Ish, A. S., to make, someichat, like; brownish, Spanish. 

88. Ism, G., state of being , doctrine; heroisniP, spiritualism. 

89. 1st, G., an agent, oneicho; artist, theorist 3 , homeopathist?. 

90. Ite, L , one who is, being; favorite, millerite. 

91. Ity, (ty), L., being or state of being; equality, immensity 8 . 

92. Ive, L., that which, one who, having power; inventive, protect- 
ive 8 , captive, relative, corrective. 

93. Ix, L., a female; administratrix?, test mentrix, executrix. 

94. Less, A. B., icithout; homeless, toothless 3 , worthless. 

95. Like, A. S., resembling; homelike, warlike?, manlike. 

96. Ling, A. S., little, young; darling, seedling, fondling. 

97. Ly, A. S., like, manner; friendly, softly, smoothlyP, kindly. 

98. Ment, L., state of being, act of, thing that; ornament, punish- 
at, acquirement, elopement 8 , concealment, movement. 

99. Mony, L., slate of being, thing that; matrimony?, testimony. 

100. Ness, A. S3., being or state of being; tenderness, loveliness*. 

101. Or, L , one who, thing that; director, inspector, error, debtor?. 

102. Ory, L., relating to, the place where, the thing that; prefatory?, 
factory, explanatory, purgatory. 

103. Oils, (eous, ious, ose). L., full of consisting of ; danger- 
ous, victorious, righteous, beauteous 8 , dubious, verbose, jocose. 

104. .Ry, (ery), A. S., a being, the art, collection, the place where; 
bravery, knaveryp, coopery, entry, jewelry. 

105. S, or es, A. S., more than one; annals 3 , benches 9 , judges; 
S, etli and est are used with verbs that have a singular subject; he loves, 
he loveth, thou lovest. 

106. 'S or ', A. S., his, the sign of the possessive of nouns; friend's 3 
council, horses' 3 heads. 

107. Ship, A. S., office of, state of; friendship, township. 

108. Some, A. S., someichat, causing, full of; gladsome, weari- 
some 9 , lightsome, frolicsome?. 



10 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

109. Ster, A, K., onewlw; roadster, teamster. 

110. T-Uile, L., being t or state of being; attitude, altitude 8 . 

111. Ure, (ture), L. the thing \ state of being \ act of; creature 8 , 
feature, fixture?, scripture, exposure, seizure 8 , capture. 

112. Ward, A. S., direction of; homeward, heavenward?. 

113. Wise, A. S., manner; crosswise, likewise, sidewise. 

114. Y, (ey), A. S., state of being, full of, made of; honesty, con- 
sistency, bloody, watery 8 , rocky, clayey, thorny, cloudy. 

3. BASES (420). PAKONYMS (421). 

115. In the following list of paronyms the base is 
given first in bold faced type. The abbreviation following 
shows the language from which it comes: L. for Latin; 
G. for Greek; A. S. for Anglo-Saxon. The English mean- 
ings are then given in Italics. The spelling of the base as 
found in certain words is then given in bold faced type, 
and is followed by prefixes (418), with a hyphen after 
each, and suffixes (419), with a hyphen before each, that 
will combine Avith it. It is sometimes necessary to make 
use of two prefixes or suffixes to form a good word. For 
instance, in- cannot be used witli equate without ad- also, 
thus forming the word inadequate. Words whose deriva- 
tion is not perfectly evident are spelled out in full. If 
they are not understood, it is recommended that they be 
found in the dictionary and their meaning carefully noted. 

116. The analysis of the words selected and the mean- 
ing according to their derivation, should be clearly stated; 
then use them in a sentence. Thus inequality is derived 
from the base equal from aquus, meaning equal, the prefix 
in- meaning not, and the suffix -ity meaning state of being. 
Inequality means the state of not being equal. The in- 
equality between the two was very great. 

117. This exercise should not be carried too far. 
When words are restrained by common usage to a par- 
ticular sense, to run up to etymology, and construe them 
by the dictionary, is wretchedly ridiculous. — Jeremy Collier. 



LEXICOLOGY. 11 

EXERCISE 3. PARONYMS (421;. 

118. -^Equus, aequalis, L., equal; equal, co , un-, in-, -ity 
-ize s ; equate, ad-, in-, -ion 8 ; equity; equitably; iniquity; iniquitousP. 

119. Aer, G., the air; aer, -ial, -ifoim; aerolite, aeronaut; 
air, -y. 

120. Agan, A. S., to have, to possess; owe, -ed 9 , -ing; own, -ed, 
-er, -ing; ought. 

121. Ago, L., I do, I drive ; ag, -ent, -ency, -ile, -ity s ; agitate, 
-ion; act, counter , en , ex-, re-, over , trans-, -ive, -ity, -ly, -ion, -or. 

ment, ness; exigent, exigency?; manage (maims), -er, -merit; navig-ate 
(navis), circuin , -ion, or; navigableP. 

122. Amicus, L., a friend; ainic, -able, -ably; inimical. 

123. Amo, L., / love; amor, en , -ous; ami, un- -able, -ably, 
-ability, -ty; amateur. 

124. Anima, L., life, the soul; anim, in-, ate, -cd. -ion, -osity; 
equanimity; magnanimous (magiius); unanimous (unus 

125. Annus, L., a year; annu, -al -ity, -ly; eimi, bi- t per-, 
sept-, tri-, mille-, -al. -um; anniversary? <verto); annal, -s, -ist. 

126. Arche, G., beginning, government; archaeology p; archive; 
anarchy; heptarchy; hierarchy; monarch; oligarchyp; patriarch. 

127. Anna, L., weapons; arm, disP, un-, -ed, -or, -ory, -s, -y; 
armament; armistice; Armada. 

128. Ars, L., art; art, -lull 8 , ist, -less 3 , -ness; artificeP, -ial; 
artisan; artistic. 

129. Astron, G., a star; asterisk; asteroidP; astral; astrol- 
ogy; astrologer; astronomy; astronomic; -alP; disaster?. 

130. Audio, L., I hear; audi, in-, -ble, -bly, -ence; audit (eo), 
-or, -ory. 

131. Bacan, A. S., to heat, to dry; hake, -ed, -er 3 , -ing, hatch. 

132. Bsec, A. S., back; hack, a-, -bite, -slide, -ward. 

133. Bselg, A. S., a bag; hag", -age 3 , -ed, -ing; hulge, -ed 3 , -ing; 
hellowsp; hudget. 

134. Beacnian, A. S., to signal; heckon, -ed, -ing; heaconp. 

135. Beatan, A. S., tostrik.; heat, -ing 3 ; hattle; heetle. 

136. Bene. L., good, tceli; henedict (dico), -ion; henefact 
(facio), -or, -ion, -ress; henevolence (volo) ; henefit (fio); heneficial; 
beneficentp. 

137. Beorgan, A. S., to hide, borough; "burglar; burrow; 
harbor, 

138. Beorht, A. S., shining; bright, -en, -er, -ly, -ness. 

139. Beran, A. S., to carry; hear, un-, -able, -er, -ing; herth; 
bier; hirth; hurden. 

140. Biddan, A, S., to command; hid, for-, under-, -en, er, -ing a . 



12 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

141. Bindan, A. S., to fasten; bind, re-, un-, er, .-ing; band; 
bond; bound; bundle. 

142. Blaesan, A. S., to blow, to flare; blast, -ed, -ing; blaze; 
blister; blow; bluster. 

143. Brad, A. S., wide; broad, er, est; broadcloth; 
breadth. 

144. Brecan, A. S., to sever; break, er, -ing; breach; 
breakfastP: broke, -en s . 

145. IZreowan, A. S., to boil, to seethe; brew, ed, -ery; broth. 

146. Buan, A. S., to inhabit, cultivate; boor, -ish, neighbor^, 
hood. 

147. Bugan, A. S., to bend to yield; bow, ed, -ing; buxom; 
elbow. 

148. Byrnan, A. S., to burn; hum; brand, fire-, -ed, -ing; 
brandy; brimstone; brown; burnt; auburnp. 

149. Capio, L., / take; cap, in-, -able, -ability; capt, -or, -ure, 
-ious, -ive, -ity, -ate; cept, ac-, con, de-, ex-, in-, inter-, pre, re-, sus 8 -, 
-ance, -ation, 4od, -ive, -ible, -or; receptacle; cip, anti-, -ate, -ation; 
incipientP; participate (pars). 

150. Caput, L., the head; cap, -tion; capit, de-, re-, ate, -al, 
-ist, -tion; captain, -cy; precipice?; precipitant; precipitate; capitulate?; 
chap er; chieftain. 

151. Carbo, L., coal; carbon, -aceous, -ate, -ic, -ize; carbon- 
iferous (fero)p. 

152. Caro, L., flesh; earn, in-, -ate, age, -al, -ity, -ion; carnival; 
carnivorous. 

153. Cedo, L., I go, I yield; cease, de-, -less; ceed, ex-, pro-, 
sue-, -ed, -ing; cede, ac-, ante-, con-, inter-, pre-, un-, se-, re-, -ent s , -ence, 
-ed, -ure; cess, ac-, in-, inter-, con-, pro-, sue-, -ion, -ible, -ant, -or, -full, 
-ive. 

154. Cennan, A. S.. to beget; kin, a-; kind, man-, -ness, -red; 
king. 

155. Centrum, L , the center; centr, con-, ec-, -ate, -ic, -ity, -al;, 
centrifugal (fugio); centripetal (peto); center, -ed. 

156. Centum, L., a hundred; cent, per-, -age, centenary, -an 3 , 
centennial (annum); centigrade (gradior); centipede (pes) ; cent- 
urion; century. 

157. Claino, L., i" call, I cry out; clamat, ac-, de-, ex-, pro-, 
-ion, -ory, -or; claim, ac-, de-, dis-, ex-, pro-, re-, un-, -ant, -ed, -ing; 
clamor, -er, -ous. 

158. Cladh, A. S., cloth; clad; cloth; clothe, -ed 8 , -ier, -ing 
broadcloth. 



LEXICOLOGY. 13 

159. Cleofan, A. S., to part; cleave, -ed, -er, -ing s ; cleft; 
clove, -en; clover. 

160. Cor, L., the heart; cord, ac-, con-, dis-, re-, -ial, -ity, -ance, 
-ant, -er; cour, en-, dis-, -age, -cms, -ment; core, -ed s . 

161. Corpus, L., the body; corpor, in-, -ale, -ion, -al, -eal; cor- 
set; corselet; corpulent; corpuscleP; corps?; corpseP. 

162. Credo, L., / believe, I trust to; cred, in-, -ence, -ible, -ity; 
credit, dis-, able, -or; credul, in-, -ous, -ity; creed. 

163. Cuiiian, A. S., to come; come, be-, wel-, un-, -ly, -ness s . 

164. Cunnau, A. S., to know, to be able; can; con, -ed; cun- 
ning; conundrum; ken; keen. 

165. Cura, L., care, safe; cur, ac , in-, -ate, -acy, -ness, -able, -ive, 
-or; curious, curiosityp; cure, se-, in-, -ity; sure, as-, re-, en-, in-, 
-ty, -ance 5 , -able. 

166. Curro, L., / run; cur, con-, ex-, in-, oc-, -ence, -sion, 
*ent, -ency; course, con-, dis-, inter , re-, ed, -ing% -er; cuss, dis , ex-, 
in-, per-, -ive, -ion, -ist, or; courierP, succor. 

167. Dsegr, A. -8 , a day; day, -light; dawn; dairy. 

168. Dselan, A. S., to divide; deal, -er, -ing; dealt; dole, 
-ful; ordeal. 

169. Damnum, L., loss, harm; damn?, -ableP, -ation; dam, 
age, -able; danger, -ous; denin, con-, in-, -ation, -atory, -ify, -ity; 

indemnificationP. 

170. Decern, L., ten; decini, -al, -ate; decimo, duo-; Decem- 
ber; decennial (annus); decemvirate (vir). 

171. Demos, G-., the people; democrat; democracy (kratos); 
demogogueP; endemic; epidemic. 

172. Dens, L., a tooth; dent, in-, -ation, -al, -ist, ure; denti- 
frice; edentataP; trident; rodent; dandelion. 

173. Deor, A. S., dear; dear, en-, -er, -est: darling; dearth. 

174. Deus, L., a god; de, -ify, -ist, -ism, -ic, -al, -ity; divine, 
-ation s , -ity; deification. 

175. Dico, L., I proclaim, I set apart; die, ab-, de-, in-, pre-, -ate, 
-ation, -ve, -or; index; predicament?. 

176. Dico, L., I say; diet, ad , bene-, contra-, e-, in-, -ate, -or, 
-ion, -ial; -ory, -ed, -ment; indite; dictionary?. 

177. Dies, L., a day; di, -al, -ary; meridianP, ante-, post-; 
diurnal. 

178. Doceo, L, / teach; doc, -ileP, -ity; doct, -or; document; 
doctrine, -al. 

179. Dom, A. S,, judgment; doom, -ed; dooms-day. 

180. Dragan, A. S, to draw; drag-, be-, le, -ed s , -ing; drain, 
-ed; draw, dray: draught?. 



14 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

181. Drifan, A. S., to drive; drift, -ed, -ing; drift-wood 3 ; 
drive, -er, -ing. 

182. Drincan, A. S., to drink; drink, -ing, -er; drunk, -ard, 
-en; drench, -ed. 

183. Dripan, A. S., to drip; drip, -ing s ; drop, -ed 3 , -ing; 
droop, -ed s , -ing; dribble 8 ; drivel. 

184. Duco, L., I lead, I bring forward; duce, ad-, con-, de , e-, 
in-, super-, intro-, pro-, re-, tra-, -ive s , -ment s , -er, -ible; duct, ab-, con-, 
de-, in-, intro-, pro-, re-, -ile, -ion, -or, -ory, -ive, -ity; aqueductP; via- 
duct (via). 

185. Duo, L., tvo; du, -al; duel, -ist; duplicate; duplicity; 
double; doubt, un-, -ful, -less, -ed; dubious. 

186. Durus, L., hard, lasting; dure, en-, ob-, -able, -ness, 
•ability, -ance, -ate, -ion, -acy\ 

187. Eage, A. S., the eye; eye, -ing; eyeball; eyelid, 

188. Emo, L., / buy, I take; empt, ex-, per-,' pre-, -ion, -ory; 
redeem; redemption. 

189. Eo, (it), li , 1 go, I pass; it, ex-, trans-, in-, -ion, -al, -ive, 
-ory; itinerant; ambition; initial; initiatory p; transientP. 

190. Esse, L., to }e; ess, -ence; est, inter-, dis-, -ing, -edP; 
ent, abs-, non-, -ee, -ity, £nce, abs-; present, orani-, reP-, mis-, -ly, 
-ation, -ative; quintessence. 

191. Facilis, L., easy, facile, -ity s , -ate; difficult, -y s . 

192. Facio, L., 1 make, or do; fact, -or, -ion; benefactor (bene); 
manufacture (manus); feet, af-, de-, ef-, in-, per-, im , dis-, un-, -ation, 
-ion, -ing, -ate, -ed, -ive, -ual; fici, de-, ef-, of-, pro-, suf-, in-, -ent, -ency, 
-cial; deficit; officer; suffice; feature; fashion, -able. 

193. Faran, A. S, to go; fare, -ed; farewellP; ferry; ford, 
-ed; welfare. 

194. Fedan, A. S., to feed; feed; food; foster; father. 

195. Fendo, L., I keep off, I strike; fend, de-, of-, -er, -ant; 
fence, -er 3 , -ing; fense, de-, in-, -less 5 , -ible, -ive. 

196. Fero, (latum), L. t I bear, I carry; fert, -ile, -ity, -ize; 
fer, circum-, con-, de-, dif-, in-, pre-, pro-, re-, suf-, trans-, -ence, -ent, -ed, 
-able 3 , -ment, -ee, -ing; deferential; pestiferous; vociferous; late, col-, 
di-, e-, pre , re-, super-, trans-, -ion, -ory, -ive. 

197. Figo, L., I fix, I join ; fix, af-, pre-, suf-, trans-, -ture; 
crucifix. 

198. Fleog-an, A. S., to fly; fledge; flee; flicker; flight. 

199. Fluo, L., I flow; fluo, af-, con-, in-, super-, -ent, -ency, -id, 
-ial, ous, -ity; fluctuate, -ion 3 ; influxP. 

200. Fortis, L., strong, brave; fort, com-, un-, ef-, -ify, -able, 
•less; force, en-, re-, -ible, -ment 3 ; fortress; fortitudeP; fortification. 



LEXICOLOGY. 15 

201. Fot, A. 8., the foot; foot ; fetter; fetlock. 

202. Frango, L., I break; fract, re-, -ion, -al, -ious, -ure; frag", 
-ile, -ment, -ary; frang, re-, -ible; fringe in-, ment; frail, -ty; refrain. 

203. Frater, L., brother; fratern, -al, -ity, -ize ; friar ; 
fratricideP. 

204. Frigis, L., cold; frig", -id, -ity; refrigerate, -ion, -or. 

205. Fugio, L., I flee; fugit, -iveP; fuge, re-, subter-, -ee 8 ; 
centrifugal. 

206. Ful, A. S., unclean; defile, -ed; filth; foul ; fulsome. 

207. Fundo (fusom), L., 1 pour; fund, re-, -in^, -ed; fuse, 
con-, dif-, ef-, in-, pro-, re-, suf-, trans-, ible, -ion, -ive; futile; confound; 
refute, -ation. 

208. Fyr, A. S., the fire; fire; fiery; fireworks; bonfire. 

209. Geard, A. S., an enclosure; yard; orchard?; garden. 

210. Getan, A. S., to get; get, -ing s ; forget; got, -en. 

211. Gifan, A. S„ to give; give, for-, mis-, -ing; gave. 

212. Gradior, L., / walk; grade, de-, retro-, -ation; gress, 
ag-, con-, di-, e-, in-, pro-, retro-, trans-, -ion, -or, -ive ; gradu, under , 
-al, -ate, -ation. 

213. Grafan, A. S., to dig; grave, en-, -er; graft, -ed, -ing; 
groove? ; grove; grub, -ed s , -ing. 

214. Gramma, G., a letter; gram, ana-, dia-, epi-, mono-, prop , 
-ar s , -ian; grammatical; telegram. 

215. Grapho, G., / write; graph, anto-. bio-, geo-, lexico-, lith-, 
ortho , photo , steuo-, tele-, topo-, typo . -y, -er, -ic. 

216. Gravis, L., heavy; grave, ag-, -ity s , -ate, ion; grieve, 
ag-, -ance, -ous; grief 8 ; gravitation. 

217. Hahban, A. S., to possess; have, be-, -ing, -iorp. 

218. Habeo, L.. I have, I hold; habit, in-, re-, -able, -ant, -ation; 
liibit, ex-, pro , -ion, -or; habilimentP; able, en-, dis-, -ity. 

219. Hal, A. S., sound; hail; hale; heal, -ed, ing; health, 
-ful; holy; whole, -ness, -some. 

220. Healdan, A. S., to hold; halt; helm; hilt; hold, be-, 
ing; held ; upholster. 

221. Heard, A. S., hard; hard, -en, -ship, -y; hardware. 

222. Hospes, L., a host, a guest; host, -ess; hospit, in-, -al, 
able, -ity; hostler; hotel. 

223. Hus, A. S., a house; house; housewifeP ; husband; 
hustings. 

224. Jacio, L , / throw, I cast; ject, ab-, ad-, con-, de-, e-, in-, 
inter-, ob-, pro-, re-, sub-, -ure, -al, -ed, -ion, -ment, -able, -ive, -or, -ile; 
ejaculate, -ion, -ory; jetty; jut. 

225. Jungo, L., / join; jtinct, ad , con-, dis-, in-, sub-, -ion, 



16 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

• ure, -ive; join, ad-, en-, con-, dis-, re-, sub-, -ed, -er; rejoinder; con- 
jugal; conjugate, -ion; joint, -ed. 

226. Jus, L., right, law; just, in-, -ice, -ify, -ness; jurist; 
justification; jurisdiction (dico); injure, -y s , -ous s . 

227. .Kratos, G., strength, government; crat, aristo-, demo-, -ic; 
era, aristoP-, demo-, theo-, -cy. 

228. Laefan, A. S., to leave; left; leave, -ing; eleven; twelve. 

229. L<ecgan, A. S., to lie; lay; lair; law; lea; ledge; lie; 
low; outlaw; lying. 

230. Lego, L., I gather, I read; leg, il-, e-, in-, -ible, ibility, -ant 
-ance, -ion, -end; lect, col-, re-, ec-, e-, se-, -ion, -ic, -ive, -or; diligent ; 
eligibleP; intellect, -ual; intelligent. 

231. Lex, L., law, a rule; leg, il-, -air, -ity, -ize s ; legislate 
(latum; see fero), -ion, -or, -ure; privilege, legitimate. 

232. Iiiber, L., free; liber, il-, -al, -ity, -ate, -or, -ty; deliver, 
-ance, -y. 

233. Litera, L, a letter; liter, il-, al-, ob-, -al, -ary, -ate, -ion; 
literature*. 

234. Locus, L., a place; loc, dis-, col-, -al, -ize s , -ity,'-ate, -ion; 
locomotive. 

235. Logos, L., a speech, a reason, a description; log, apo-, dox<> -, 
etymo-, genea-, geo-, minera-, mytho-, ornitho-, philo-, pkrenoP-, physio , 
psychoP-, tauto-, techno-, zoo , -ic, -al, -ian. -y, -ize, -ist; logue*, apo , 
cata-, deca-, pro-. 

236. Lufe* A. S., love; love, un-, -able 8 , -er, ing, -ly, -est 8 . 

237. Magan, A. S., to be able; may; might, -y, -ly 8 ; main; 
dismay. 

238. Magnus, L., great, large, grand; magni, -fy, lude; 
magnificent (facio); magnanimous (anima); major, -ity ; majesty; 
mayor, magistrate; master. 

239. Manclo, L , I command, I commit; mand, com-, cle-, -ate, 
-ory. -er, -ment; mend, com-, re-, -able, ing; commendatory. 

240. Manus, L, the hand; maim, al ; manuscript (scribo); 
manufactureP (facio), -ed, -er, -ing; manufactory; manipulate, -ion, 
-or; mana, -cle; emancipate (capio). -ion, -or. 

241. Mater, L, a mother; matri, -monyp, -al; matron, ly; 
maternal; maternity. 

242. Memini, L., / remember; memor, com-, im-, -able, ate, 
-ion 8 , -ive, -ial, -ize 8 , -y; remember; memorandumP. 

243. Mens, L., the mind; ment, com-, de-, -al, -ed; vehementP; 
dementia. 

244. Metron, G., a measure; metr, dia-, geo-, sym-, -ic, -al, -ian, 

* Tne ue is often left off by late writers. 



LEXICOLOGY. 17 

-y; mete; meter, dia-, gas- or gaso-; aneometer?; barometer; 
hexameter ; hydrometer ; hygrometer ; perimeter ; thermometer ; 
trigonometry. 

245. Migro, L., / move from one place to another; migr* era-, 
1D1-, trans , -ate, -ion, -ory, -ant. 

246. Mitto, L., 1 send. I let go; mit, ad-, com-, de-, e-, inter-, o-, 
per-, re-, sub- trans-, -ance s , ee, -ent, -ed; mis, ad-, com-, inter-, o-, pre-, 
pro, re-, sub-, -ible s , -ion, -ed, -er, -ary, -ible, -ile, -ive; compromise; 
surmise. 

247. Mona, A. S., the moon; moon; Monday?; month. 

248. Moneo, L., 1 remind, I warn; monit, ad , pre-, -ion, -or, y, 
-ial; monu, merit, -al; moil, ad-, pre-, -ish, -er; summons. 

249. Monos, G., alone; monk; monastery?; monomania; 
monopolize 5 ; monosyllable?; monotheism; monotone; monotonous; 
monotony. 

250. Mors, L., death; mort, im-, -al, -ize s , -ify; mortification; 
mortuary; murder, -er, -ous. 

251. Moveo, L., / move; mov, im-, -able; move, re-, -ment s , 
-er 8 ; mot, com-, e , pro-, -ion, -al, -less, -ive, -or, -er; promote; remote, 
-ness; mobile; momentum. 

252. Mynd, A. S., the mind; mind, re-, -ful. 

253. Navis, L., a ship; nav, -al, -y; navigate (ago), -ed, -or; 
navigable?, circum-. 

254. Neali, A. S., nigh; near; next; neighbor (buan). 

255. Nomen, L , a name; nomin, de-, -al, -ate, -ion, -ee, -or; 
misnomer; cognomen* 1 ; pronoun. 

250. humerus, L., a number; numer, e-, in-, -al, -ate, -ion, -ic, 
-ous, -able; number; supernumerary?. 

257. Nuncio, L , I announce; nunci, de-, e-, pro-, ateP, -ion 6 ; 
nounce, an-, de-, pro-, re-, -able, -ment. 

258. Ode, G., a poem, an ode; melody, -ous s ; parody; prosody; 
psalmody'' ; rha psody?. 

259. Ordo, L., order, rank; ordin, co-, extra, in-, pre-, sub-, -ate, 
-ion, -ance, -aryP; ordain; order, -ly. 

260. Van, G., all, thevrfiole; panacea; pancreas; pandemonium; 
panegyric?; panorama; pantheism; pantomime?. 

261. Faro, L.\ I prepare, I get ready; pare, com-, pre-, in-, -ative s , 
-ablep, -aiion, -atoiy; apparel; repair; comparison; separate, in , able. 

262. Pars, L., a part, a sliare; part, a-, com-, counter-, de-, im-, 
-ed, -ial ity, -ment, -ure, -y; partner; participate, -ion s ; particle? ; 
particular, -ize; partisan; partition. 

263. Pater, L., a father; pater, nal; paternity; patron, -ess, 
-age, -ize s ; patriot, com-, -ic, -ism; patrician; patrimony; expatiate, 
-ion. 



18 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

264. Pathos, G., suffering, feeling; pathetic, sym-; pathology 
(logos); allopathyP, -icP; liomeopathyp, -ic; apathy; antipathyP; sym- 
pathy 9 , -ize 9 . 

265. Pello, L., I drive; pel, coin-, dis-, ex-, pro-, re-; pulse, 
com-, ex-, im-, re-, -ate, -ion, -ory, -ive. 

266. Pendeo, L., lhang; pend, ap-, cie-, in-, -ant, -ing, -age, 
-ence, -ent; appendix; pendulum; suspense, -ion; pensile. 

267. Pendo, L , to weigh, to pay; pend, com-, ex-, -iture; sti- 
pend; pense, com-, dis-, in-, ex-, recom-, -ate, -able, -ive 8 , -ion, -er, -ary. 

268. Pes, L., the foot; ped, bi-, ex-, im-, -al, -ient, -iency, -ite, -ion, 
-ious, -iment, -ler; pedestrian; quadruped. 

269. Peto, L., I attack, I seek; pete, com , in-, -ent s , -ence; cen- 
tripetal; petit, com-, re-, -ion, -er, -or; petulant; impetus; impetuous; 
impetuosity. 

27G. Philos, G., a friend a lover; philosophy, -er, -ic, -al; 
Philadelphia?; philanthropic; philology (logos); philharmonic. 

271. Phusis, G., nature; phys, meta-, -ic, -al, -ian; physiology 
(logos), -ist; physiognomy?, -ist. 

272. Plegan, A. S., to play; play, -er, -ing; playmate. 

278. Polls, G., a city; j>olice, -man?; policy; politic, -al, -ian, 
-s; polity; metropolis; mieropoliSP; cosmopolitan. 

274. Pono,L., I place; pone, com-, de , op-, post-, -ent, -ment; 
pose, com-, de-, dis-, ex-, im-, in-, inter-, op-, pro-, pur-, re-, sup-, trans-, 
-er, -ite, -or, -ure, -al; posite, com-, de-, dis-, ex-, -im, inter-, op-, pro-, 
sup*, ion 3 , -or, -ary, -ory; juxtaposilionP; compound, -ed, -ing; post, 
com-, im-, -age. 

275. Porto, L., I carry, port, ex-, im-, pur-, re-, sup-, in-, trans-, 
-ance, -ant, -ation, -able, -er; portune, im-, op-, -ity; portfolio; port- 
man teauP. 

276. Prehendo, L., I lay hold of I seize; prehend, ap-, com-, 
re-, -ed; prehense, ap-, com, re-, -ion, -ive, -ible; comprise; enterprise; 
surprise; prison; reprieve. 

277. Probo, L., I try, I prove; prob, im-, ap-, dis-, rep-, -able . 
-ability, -ation, -ary, ity, -ate; prove, ap-, dis-, im-, re-, -al, -ment, -ing; 
reproof. 

278. Rredan, A. S., to read; read, -er, -ing; riddle. 

279. Reaiiaii, A. S., to seize; bereave; rive; rob, -er s ; rove. 

280. RegO,.L., I rule; reg* 9 -al, -ent, -ency; regulate; regicide; 
regiment; regular, -ity; regaliaP; rect, cor-, di-, e- : in, -ly, -ion, -ity, 
-or; rectitude; incorrigible!-; reign. 

281. Kennau, A. S., to run; run, out-, ing 6 ; runaway. 

282. Ridan* A. S., to ride; ride, -er, -ing; road; roadster. 

283. Rumpo, L., IbreaJc; rwpt, ab , cor-, in-, dis , e-, inter-, ir-, 
un , -ly, -ness, -ible, -ion, -ed; bankrupt, -cy. 



LEXICOLOGY. 19 

284. Sceofan, A. S.,. to push; shove; shovel; scuffle; shuffle 
sheaf. 

285, Sceotau, A. S., to dart; shoot; shot; sheet; shut 
shuttle; upshot. 

28(5. Sceran, A 8 , to cut; sear; scarf; score; share; sharp 
shear. 

287. Scio, L., Iknoic; sci, con-, un-, -ence*. -ous; conscientious 
scientific; omniscientP (omnis). 

288. Scinan, A. 8., to shine; shine, out , ing; sheen; moon- 
shine; sunshine; shone, 

289. Scriho, L., / write; scribe, as- circum , de-, per-, sub-, 
trans-, -er; script, sub , in , tran,-, post-, pre-, super , -ion, -ure; scrib- 
ble; manuscript (manus). 

290. Sentio, L. , I feel, I think; sent, as-, con, dis , re-, -ence; 
sentiment, pre-, -al; sense, dis-, in-, non , -ate, -ible s , -ion, -less; sens- 
ual, -ist; sensitive; sensuous. 

291. Settan, A. S , to sit; set, -er 8 , -ing, -ee; settle; settler; be- 
set; outset; upset. 

292. Side, A. S., the side; side, a-, be-, in-, out-, up-; sidewise. 

293. Singan, A. S., to sing; sing, -ing; song', -ster. 

294. Sleac, A. 8 , slow; slack; slow; sloth; sluggard. 

295. Solvo, L., I loosen; solve, ab-, dis-, in-, re-, -able, -ency, 
-ent; solute, dis-, res-, -ion; solubility. 

296. Specan, A. S., to speak; speak, -ing, -er, -ship; speech. 

297. Specio or spicio, L., I behold; spect, a, circum-, ex-, in , 
per-, pros-, re-, retro-, -ive, -able, -full; spectacle; spectator; spect- 
rum; conspicuous; perspicuous?; suspicion; auspicesP; specify, -ic; 
specimen; speculate. 

298. Spiro, L., Ibreathe; spire, a-, con-, ex-, in-, per-, re-, trans-, 
-acy s , -ing; spirate, a-, con-, in-, per-, re-, -ion, -or, -ory; sprite, -\\ y 
-ness s ; spirit; spiritual; spirituous. 

299. Stician, A. S, to stub; stick; stake; sting-; stitch; 
Stocking. 

300. Stigan, A. S., to rise; stair; staircase; si lie.; stirrup; sty. 

301. Sto, L , I stand, I setup, I fix; state, -ion 8 , ary, -er, -cry, 
-ly, -meut; statesman, statue, -ary; staiure; slant, con , di , ex-, in-, 
sub-, -ly, -ial; stituf e, con-, in-, res , sub-, -ion; inter slice?; obstacle; 
constant; desist; superstition. 

802. Streowian, A.. S., to scatter; strew; straw; strawberry. 

303. Stringo, L., I bind, 1 draw tight; string, a , -ent. -ency; 
Strict, re-, dis-, -ness. -ion, -ure; strain, con-, re-; straint, con-, re-. 

304. Sur, A. S. f sour; sour, -ed, -ness; sorrel, surly*. 

305. Sumo, L., I take; sunie, as-, con-, pre-, re-, -er, -ing 9 , -ed; 
sumpt, as-, con-, pre-, re-, -uous, -uary, -ionP, -ive 



20 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

306. Swearian, A. S., to engage for; swear; answer. 

307. Taecan, A. S., to show; teach, -er, -ing; taught. 

308. Tellan, A. S., to count; tell, fore-, -ing, tale; talk; told. 

309. Tempus, L., time; tempor, con-, -ary, -al, -ize; ex- 
temporeP; extemporaneous. 

310. Tendo. L., I stretch; tend, at-, con-, dis-, ex-, in- por , pre- 
sub-, super-, -ency, -ance, -ant, -ed, -ing; tendon; tens, ex , in-, pre-, 
-ive, -ity, -ion; ostensible; ten , at-, con-, ex-, in , por , -ion, -ive, -ious; 
ostentation. 

311. Teneo, L., / hold; ten, un-, -able -ant, -ry, -ure; tenet; 
tenement; tendril; tent, con-, dis , de-, re-, sus-, -ment.. s, ion, -ive, 
-ation; tain, abs-, con-, de-, per-, re-, sus-, -ed, -er, -ing; entertainment; 
abstinence; continue dis, al, -ity s ; pertinacity. 

312. Thencan, A. S., to think; think, er, -ing; thought. 

313. Theos, G God; the, a-, -ism, -ist s , -ic; theology (logos); 
pantheism (pan); polytheism?; enthusiasm. 

314. Traho, L. I draw; tract, abs-, at-, con-, de-, dis- ex-, pro-, 
re-, sub-, -able, ed, rile, -ion, -ing, ive, or; treat, re-, -ise s , -ment, -y; 
trace; track; train; trail. 

315. Treowe, A. S., the truth; true, ly; truth, un-, -ful, -ly; 
trust, -ed, -ing, -y; trustworthy p ; throth; trystP. 

316. Twa, A. S., two; two; twice; twine; twist. 

317. Tyrnan, A. S., to turn; turn, er, -ed, -ing;. turncoat; 
turnkey; turnpike; tour. 

318. Valeo, L., I am strong, I am of value; val, pre-, -entP, -ence; 
value, in-, -able, ation; valor, -ous; valiant; valedictory (dicoj; con- 
valescentP; equivalent; vail, a-, pre-, -able 8 , ing; valid, in-, -ity. 

319. Venio, L. I come, I go; vent, ad-, circum-, contra-, con-, e-, 
in-, pre-, -ure, -ous, -ive, -or, -ion, -al; venturesome; adventitious?; 
avenue; convene, in-, -ience; intervene; revenue. 

320. Verto, L., I turn; vert, ad-, con-, contro-, di , in-, per- re-, 
retro-, sub-, -ent, ise s , -ment. -ed; vertical; vertigo; animadvert; verse, 
ad-, a-, con-, di-, ob-, per-, re , retro-, sub-, trans-, -ary, -ity -ion s , -ant, 
-ation, -ify, -al; universe, -al, -ity; versatileP; vortexP; divorce, 

321. Video, L., I see; vid, e-, pro, -ent, -ence; vise, ad-, pro-, 
im , re-, super-, -able, -ion, -al, -or; view, re-, inter p; visit, -ant, -ation, 
-or, advice; prudent. 

322. Vinco, L., / conquer; vince, con-, e-, in-, pro , -ible; vict, 
con , e , -or, -y, -ion. 

323. Voco, L., I call; voc, ad-, a, con-, in-, pro , sub- -al y -ist, 
-ize, ate -ion; equivocal; vocabulary; voke, con, e-, in , re-, ir-, pro-, 
-abler; voice; vouch; vowel. 

324. Volvo, L. , I. roll, 1 turn; volve 9 circum-, con , de-, e», in-, 



LEXICOLOGY. 21 

re-, -ed, -er, -ing; TOlut, circum-, e-, re-, -ion, -ary, -ist, -ize; volume; 
voluble. 

325. Wacan, A. S., to wake; wake, -ful, -ing; wait, -ing, -ed; 
watch, ed, -ing. 

326. Wanian, A. S., to icave; wan; wane, want, ed, -on. 

327. Warnian, A. 8., to warn; warn, -ed, -mg; warr 
wary; weird. 

328. Wegan, A. S., to move; wag; wave; way; weigh, -ed; 
weight?. 

329. Weordh, A. S., being; worth; worthy, un-, -ly; worship, 
-ed, -er s . 

330. Witan, A. S., to know; wise, -er, -est; wisdom; wizard?; 
wit, ness -y s . 

331. Wradh, A. S., to twist; wrath; wreatlF; wreathe?; 
wroth; wry. 

332. Wringan, A, S., to wring; wrangle; wrench; wriggle; 
wrong; wring, -er -ing; wrinkle?. 



III. SIMPLICITY (422). 

333. Simplicity is beauty. Simplicity is power. — Ilalleck. 

334. I observe that all distinguished poetry is written in the oldest 
and simplest English words. — Emerson. 

335. You will find, in my speeches to juries, no hard words, no 
Latin phrases, no fieri facias; and that is the secret of my style, if I have 
any. — Webster. 

336. Depend upon it, it is the plain Saxon phrase, not the term 
borrowed from Greek or Latin literature, that, whether in speech or 
writing, goes straightest and strongest to men's hearts. — Lord Stanley. 

337. The devil does not care for your dialectics and eclectic lionii 
letics, or Germanic objectives and subjectives; but pelt him with Anglo 
Saxon in the name of God, and he will shift his quarters. — Spurgeon 

338. Never be grandiloquent when you want to drive home a search- 
ing truth. Don't whip with a switch that has the leaves on if you want to 
tingle. — Beecher. 

EXERCISE 4. SIMPLICITY; BOMBAST*. 

339. Observe carefully the difference between the two ways of 
expressing the same ideas in the following, and determine which is the 
more simple. 



22 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

31-0. 1. Live in houses; reside in residences. 2. Go 
to church; attend divine service. 3. Put out fires; extin- 
guish conflagrations 1 *. 4. The man was hung; launched 
into eternity. 5. An oyster; a succulent bivalve. 6. Foun- 
ded a school; inaugurated 13 an institution. 7. The lady 
was married 8 ; led to the hymeneal altar. 8. A drunkard; 
an inebriate, or dipsomaniac. 9. Coffin; burial casket. 
10. copy of writing; specimen of caligraphy 1 .* 11. And 
God said, Let there be light: and there was light. — Bible. 
The following expresses the same thought in bombast: 
" The sovereign 13 arbiter of nature, by the potent 1 energy 
of a single word, commanded light to exist, and immdiately 8 
it sprang into being." 12. The fire burned a house; the 
devouring element consumed an edifice. 13. Tail; caudal 
appendage. 14. Begin; take the initiative. 15. Apothe- 
cary; pharmaceutical 13 chemist. 16. Fish pond; piscine 
preserve. 17. Asleep; locked in slumber. 18. Their 
feelings were hurt; their sensibilities were lacerated. 
19. Eat a meal; partake of a repast. 20. He died poor; 
he expired in indigent circumstances. 21. Take a walk; 
make a pedestrian 1 excursion, or make a perambulatory 
maneuver. 22. Aristotle; the Stagirite. 23. Barber; 
tonsorial artist. 24. Bleeding at the nose; epistaxis. 
25. Woman; lady, or female. 26. Milton; the great Epic 
Iconoclast. 27, Gymnastics; calisthenics. 28. Johnson; 
the great lexicographer 1 . 

29. Schoolmaster: You are excavating a subterranean 1 
channel, it seems. 

Farmer: No, sir; I am only digging a ditch. 

30. Young Lady: Will you take condiments in your 
tea, sir? 

Thomas Corwin: Pepper and salt, but no mustard. 

* Give the derivation and meaning of words marked with an I. 



LEXICOLOGY. 23 

EXERCISE 5. SIMPLICITY. 

341. The first of each of the following pairs of words 
is Anglo-Saxon. Some of them are no longer in common 
use — but what a loss to our language! 1. Sea-robber; 
pirate. 2. Boyish; puerile. 3. Mill-race 8 ; channel. 
4. Moonling; lunatic. 5. In-wit; conscience. 6. Ship- 
craft; the art of navigation. 7. Hand-cloth; towel. 
8. Friendly; amicable 15 . 9. Porch; veranda. 10. Sand- 
waste; desert. 11. Eye-bite; fascinate. 12. Hide; con- 
ceal. 13. Water-fright; hydrophobia 1 . 14. Show-holiness. 
hypocrisy 1 . 15. Gold-hoard; treasure. 16. Laugh at; 
deride. 17. Book-craft; literature. 18. Clad; attired. 
19. Farm-house; villa. 20. Died; deceased. 

342. Note the simplicity of the language in the following selections 
in which Anglo Saxon predominates, in contrast with those containing a 
greater number of w r ords from the Latin and Greek. 

343. 1. Thoa shalt love the Lord thy God with all 
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, 
and with all thy mind. — Bible. 2. As I walked through 
the wilderness o£ this world, I lighted upon a certain place 
where was a den, and laid me down to sleep; and as I 
slept, I dreamed a dream, and behold I saw a man clothed 
with rags standing in a certain place, with his face from 
his own house, a book in hand, and a great burden upon 
his back. I looked, and I saw him open the book, and as 
he read he wept and trembled ; and, not being able to 
contain, he brake out into a lamentable 15 cry, saying, What 
shall I do? — B uny an. 

344. FAREWELL TO NATIVE SHORE. 
Adieu! adieu! my native shore 

Fades o'er the waters blue, 
The night-winds 8 sigh, the breakers roar, 
And shrieks p the wild sea-mew. 



24 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

Yon sun that sets upon the sea, 

We follow in his flight ; 
Farewell awhile to him and thee, 

My native land, good night! 

With thee, my bark, I'll swiftly go 

Athwart the foaming brine ; 
Nor care what land thou bear'st 8 me to, 

So not again to mine. 

Welcome 8 , welcome, ye dark blue waves 

And when you fail my sight, 
Welcome, ye deserts and ye caves! 

My native land, good night! — Byron. . 

EXERCISE 6. LABORED STYLE (422). 

345. After studying the forms of expression given in 339-344, 
express the following in simple language. Observe the large number of 
words derived from Latin and Greek. 

346. 1. An individual was precipitated 1 into eternity. 
2. He is evidently laboring under some hallucination 1 . 3. 
A vast concourse of people came to behold the spectacle of 
the raging conflagration. 4. There are some youthful per- 
sons whom it always delights you to accompany. 5. Mary's 
diminutive 1 specimen of the sheep species accompanied her 
to the edifice 1 of learning. 6. I bore the diminution of my 
riches without any outrages of sorrow or pusillanimity 1 of 
dejection. — Johnson. 7. I found on examination a contusion 
of the integuments under the orbit, with extravasation of 
blood and ecchymosis of the surrounding cellular tissue, 
which was in a tumefied state, with abrasion of cuticle. 
(This in simple English means, "I found a black eye.") 
8. That affluence and power, advantages extrinsic and ad- 
ventitious, ... should very often flatter the mind 



LEXICOLOGY. 25 

with expectations of felicity which they cannot give, raises 
no astonishment; but it seems rational to hope that intel- 
lectual greatness should produce better effects; that minds 
qualified for great attainments should first endeavor to 
secure their own benefit 1 ; and that they who are most able 
to teach others the way to happiness 8 should, with most 
certainty, follow it themselves. — Johnson. 

3£X. 'The following imitating Johnson's style will give an idea of the 
effect of an excessive use of difficult words. Contrast this with the selec- 
tions in 343-4. 

348. Professions lavishly effused and parsimoniously 
verified are alike inconsistent 1 with the precepts of innate 
rectitude 13 and the practice of internal policy; let it not 
then be conjectured, that because we are unassuming 8 , we 
are imbecile 1 ; that forbearance is any indication of des- 
pondency, or humility, of demerit. He that is the most 
assured of success will make the fewest appeals to favor, 
and where nothing is claimed that is undue, nothing that is 
due will be withheld. A swelling opening is too often 
succeeded by an insignificant 1 conclusion. Parturient 11 
mountains have ere now produced muscipular abortions; 
and the auditor who compares incipient grandeur with final 
vulgarity 1 is reminded of the pious hawkers of Constanti- 
nople, who solemnly perambulate her streets, exclaiming, 
" In the name of the prophet — figs! " — Smith 



IV. PURITY (423). 

349. In words as fashions, the same rule will hold; 
Alike fantastic if too new or old: 

Be not the first by whom the new are tried, 
Nor yet the last to lay the old aside. — Pope. 

350. A tendency to slang, to colloquial inelegancies, and even vul- 



26 PKACTICAL EtfGLlSH. 

garities, is the besetting 3 sin again it which we as Americans 8 , have especially 
to guard and struggle — Prof. Whitney. 

351. My young friend, I observe that you have used several French 
expressions in your article. I think that if you will study the English 
language, you will find it capable of expressing all the ideas that you may 
have. I have always found it so; and in all that I have written, I do not 
recall an instance in which I was inclined to use a foreign word, but that, 
on searching, I found a better one in my own language * —Bryant. 

352. The author does not believe it desirable to dwell upon exercises 
illustrating impurity of language. A few are given, however, to enable the 
pupil to recognize such errors of speech by their right names. • 

EXERCISE 7. FOREIGN WORDS (424\ 

353. 1. He acted sang-froid. 2. That is a mere 
bagatelle. 3. Mr. Dixon is now at his chateau. 4. The 
young man gave us quite a jeu d* esprit; but, under the 
circumstances 1 , it was condemned as mal-apropos. 

EXERCISE 8. OBSOLETE WORDS (425). 

354. 1. It irks me. 2. He was yclept John. 3. I 
wot not what he said. 4. His speech bewrayeth him. 5. 
A train-band captain eke was he. 6. I know the difference 
betwixt the two. 7. Erst we all had bread enow ; but now 
methinks, there's 8 many a wight doth go to bed supperless 1 . 
8. Belike, quoth he, ye wit not my name, and therefore will 
not accost me fair. 

EXERCISE 9. UNAUTHORIZED AND NEWLY COINED WORDS 

(426). 

355. 1. The house was not come-at-able. 2. He en- 
thused his audience. 3. It is very regrettable that the 
fruit was unsalable.. 4. I disremember seeing you. 5. He 
is a great Platonician. 6. Moral law always involves the 
idea of oughtness. 7. The house was burglarized. 8. His 
conduct was disgustful, 9. Her unsuccessfulness mortified 
her greatly. 10. Parse all the name-words and link-words. 

* Advice to a young newspaper contributor. 



LEXICOLOGY. 27 

356. The following are common mistakes in the use of 
words. 1. Agriculturalist, for agriculturist. 2. Preventa- 
tive, for preventive. 3. Philologer, for philologist. 4. 
Underhanded, for underhand. 5. Speciality, for specialty. 
6. Leniency, for lenity. 7. Firstly, for first. 

EXERCISE 10. PROVINCIAL OR LOCAL WORDS (427). 

357. 1. My folks have gone away. 2. I am shaky in 
my belief. 3. That little fice bit me. 4. See the shote 
wallowing in the mud. 5. The boys skedaddled when the 
owner came out. 6. For all that he jabbers his highfalutin 
lingo, I take him to be a humbug. 

358. Here are a few variations of railroad nomenclature 
employed by the two great English speaking nations. The 
first word in each case is American; the second, English. 
1. Railroad; railway. 2. Ticket office; booking office. 3. 
Station agent; station clerk. 4. Baggage room; cloak 
room. 5. Car ; carriage. 6. Baggage ; luggage. 7. Bag- 
gage car; luggage van. 8. Mail car; post van. 9. Con- 
ductor; guard. 10. Engineer; driver. 11. Fireman; 
stoker. 12. Freight car; goods wagon. 13. Trunk; box. 
14. Valise; portmanteau. 

EXERCISE 11. SLANG AND VULGAR WORDS. 

359. 1. That is all bosh. 2. What do you take me 
for? 3. He bought his watch on tick. 4. He did the 
handsome thing. 5. They sat down upon him. 



V* ACCURACY (429), 

360, Accuracy can be attained by the study of Paronyms (421), 
Homonyms (430), Synonyms (431), Antonyms (432), and the use of words 
in good English. 



28 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

EXERCISE 12. PARONYMS (421). 

361. A fundamental rule, to be kept constantly in sight by those 
who would not etymologize at random, is, that no amount of resemblance 
between words in different languages is sufficient to prove their relation- 
ship, nor is any amount of seeming Tinlikeness in sound or form sufficient 
to disprove their consanguinity. — Mathews. Put the right word in place 
of the dash, and make sentences containing the words not so used. Be 
careful about the pronunciation. 

362. 1. Construct, construe. After you the sen- 
tence, it. 2. Affect, effect. Find out the cause of 

this . 3. Accede, exceed. His deeds all speech. 

4. Adherence, adherents. The Jews are firm to their 

religion. 5. Allusion, illusion. An to the past. 

6. Attendance, attendants. The ladies in upon 

the queen. 7. Assistance, assistants. The principal 

has two . 8. Neglect, negligence. I was late because 

of my to notice the time, which was on my part. 

9. Predict, predicate. Can you what I will . 

10. Confident, confidante. She became my . 11. 

Patients, patience, is sorrow's 8 salve. 12. Virtue, 

virtu. is her own reward. 13. Devise, device. They 

curious works. 14. Genius, genus. Shakespeare 

was a rare . 15. Ordinance, ordnance.? Thou'lt 8 die 

by God's just . 16. Relic, relict. Fair Greece! sad 

of departed worth. 17. Statute, stature. Foreign 

men of mighty came. 18. Elicit, illicit. An — ' 

distillery was found. 19. Emigrate, immigrate. They 
were forced to — — to America. 20. Intents, intense. Be 

thy wicked or charitable ? 21. Prophesyp, prophecy. 

He doth not good concerning me. 22. Eruption, 

irruption. Diseased nature oftentimes 1 breaks forth in 

strange . 23. Precedent?, precedence. 'TwilP be 

recorded for a . 24. Treaties, treatise. Broken 

lead to war. 25. Formerly, formally. They were 



LEXICOLOGY. 29 
introduced. 26. Precede, proceed. Let the army .* 



27. Stationary, stationery. The earth appears . 28. 

Lightening, lightning. the burdens of mankind is a 

divine mission 1 . 29. Subtile, subtle. The serpent, st 

beast of all the field. 30. Contemptible, contemptuous. 
I have a opinion of him. 

363. The use of the wrong paronym is often very ludi- 
crous. The mirthfulness of many of Mrs. Partington's (B. 
P. Shillaber) sayings is due to the masterly use of wrong 
paronyms. Note the following: 1. "Poor man," said Mrs. 
Partington, " and so he's 8 really gone at last. Ninety- eight s 
was he ? Dear, dear, to think how if he had lived two years 
more he'd have been a centurion! " 2. "Are you the judge 
of reprobates? " said Mrs. Partington, as she walked into an 
office of a judge of probate. "I am a judge of probate," 
was the reply. " Well, that's 8 it, I expect," quoth the old 
lady. "You see my father died detested, and he left several 
little infidels, and I want to be their executioner." 

EXERCISE 13. HOMONYMS (430). 

364. Homonyms are often the most troublesome words in our lan- 
guage; and a thorough knowledge of their use is of the greatest importance. 
Their significations being so unlike, the use of tbe wrong one sometimes 
gives a very ludicrous ineaning to the sentence. The exercises in bomonyms 
are arranged, as will be readily seen, to adapt them to pupils of differeut 
degrees of advancement 

365. Write tbe following sentences, putting the right word instead 
of the dash. Also write sentences containing the homonyms of the words 
used. 

366. 1. Die, to expire; dye, to stamp; to color. They 
never fail who — — in a great cause. — Byron. 2. Sun, the 

■source of light; son, a male child. Let not the go 

down upon your wrath — Bible, 3. Bare, naked; bear, 
an animal; to suffer. To is to conquer our fate.— 

• Use each word and explain LUe difference in meaning. 



30 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

Campbell. 4. Weak, not strong; week, seven days. Why 
are seven days like a spell of sickness ? Because they make 

one . 5. Base, the foundation; very mean; bass, the 

lowest part in music. This rock shall fly from its strong 

as soon as I. — Scott. 6. Ale, a kind of beer; ail, to 

be ill. Made, produced; maid, an unmarried lady. 



is from barley and hops. 7. Wait, to stay; weight, 

heaviness. Learn to labor and to . — Longfellow. 

8. Waist, pari of the body; waste, loss. Haste makes . 

9. Knead, to ivork dough; need, to want. He that is 

down fear no fall.' — Bunyan. 10. Bread, food; bred, 

brought up. is the staff of life.— Swiff. 11. Been, 

existed; bin, a box. Kye, a grain; wry, twisted. The 

is full of . 12. Grown, increased; groan, a moan. 

Gilt, gold leaf; guilt, crime, sin. We under our 

load of -. 13. Kiln, a large oven; kill, to take life. 

You cannot the truth. 14. Stair, elevated steps; 

stare, to look at intently. There are 295 s in the 

Bunker Hill Monument. 15. Kite, a ceremony; right, 
correct. Write, to form letters; wright, a workman. I 

would rather be than president. — Clay. 1(3. StraU, 

narrow; straight, direct. Gate, an opening; gait, a move- 
ment. Strive to enter in at the . — Bible. 

17. Purl, a gentle murmur like a brook; pearl, something 

precious. He who would search for s must dive 

below. — Dry den. 18. Tolled, rang\ or did toll; told, did 

tell. They went and the sexton and the sexton 

the bell. — Hood. 19. Loan, something lent; lone, having 

no company; not inhabited. oft loses both itself 

and friend. — Shakespeare. 20. Brooch**, a bosom pin; 

broach, to make public. Honor's a good to wear. — 

Johnson. 21. Cite, to quote; site, a situation; sight, a 
view. The devil can scripture for his purpose. — 



LEXICOLOGY. 31 

Shakespeare. 22. Caste, a class of society; cas f , to throw. 

John was into prison. 23. Mean, low; the middle 

point; mien, manner, appearance. What majestic . 

— Pope. 24 Suit or suite, attendants; sweet, pleasant. 
is the breath of morn. — Milton, 25. Vane, a weather- 
cock; vain, icorthless; fond of praise; veinp, a blood vessel. 

is the help of man. — Bible. 26. Ceiling*, the covering 

of a room; sealing-, fastening. The thickened sky like a 

dark stood. — Milton. 27. Nave, the middle of a 

church; knave, a rogue. The marched into the - 

and took his seat. 28. Pain, suffering; pane, a piece. 

One man's pleasure is another's . 29. Rise*', going 

higher; rice, a grain. Raze, to tear down; raise, to lift 
up. is d upon lowlands. 30. Carrot, a vege- 
table; carat, a weight. Way, a road; weigh, to balance. 
The is used in ing precious metals. 

EXERCISE 14. HyMONYMS (430). 

367. Write the following sentences, putting the correct word instead 
of the dash. Consult your dictionary if necessary. Also make sentences 
containing the homonyms of the words used: 

368. 1. Draft; draught. I sat in a of air and 

took a of cold water. 2. To; too; two. Fore; four. 

The — feet and the hind feet make feet. 

3. Lane; lain. It is a long that has no turning. 

4. T>ne\ dew. The shades of night gather in — time. 

5. Their; there. Fair; fare. They paid . 

6. Air; e'er; ere; heir. A dewy freshness fills the silent 

. — Southey. 7. Sail; sale. Arc; ark. A ship must 

over an of the earth. 8. Creak; creek. Beat; 

beet. Beacfa; ^eech. The timbers , and the roaring 

weaves upon the . 9. Flea; flee. Heal; heel. 

We may some evils; some we must crush under 

the . 10. Berry, buryp. I all unkindness. — 



32 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

Shakespeare. 11. Chews; choose. Coarse; course. We 

, but God directs our . 12. Ewe; you; yew. 

Pray; prep. Herd; heard. Do — to be 



only by men? 13. Weak; week. Lynx; links. The 

— s are in the chain of the year. 14. Tare; tear. 

Hair; hare. Then might'st 8 thou thy . — Shake- 
speare. 15. Seam; seem. Things are not what they . 

16. Root; route. I went by. the new . 17. Plain; 

plane. Express thyself in , not doubtful, words. — 

Dry den. 18. Sole; soul. It is a fearful thing to see the 
human — take wing. — Byron. 19. Dun; done. What's 8 

is . — Shakespeare. 20. Faint; feint?. One; 

won. Fare; fair. — — heart never lady. 

21. Pole; poll, Spread the truth from to -. 

— Addison. 22. Ring*; wriug. Make a — — ■ about the 

corpse p of Caesar. 23. Maze; maize. is a native of 

America. 24. Throe; throw. physic to the dogs. 

— Shakespeare. 25. Augur, auger. An hole. 

26. Cruel; crewel. Jealousy is — — as the grave. — Bible. 

27. Burrow; borough. A is the work of a man; a 

, of an animal. 28. Head; reed. Brake; break. A 

bruised shall he not . — Bible. 29. Scull; skull. 

Site; sight. The protects the organs of . 

30. Cessions; sessions. Capitol; capital. Congress holds 
its in the — - at Washington. 

EXERCISE 15. HOMONYMS (430). 

369. Some of the words in the following sentences are spelled ac- 
cording to the phonetic system (Pronunciation 1-3). Write them as used 
in columns, according to the regular system of spelling, numbering them as 
the sentences are numbered. Write after each word its homonym. The 
figure in parenthesis indicates the number of words with the same pro 
nunciation. 

370. We et (2) breakfast at et o'clock. 2. Ven (2) as the 
peacock is, the weathercock is more ven. 3. The gret (2) fishes. 






LEXICOLOGY. . 33 

eat up' the little ones. — Shakespeare. 4. Do not tar (2) away 
thyself from me. 5. Cwortz (2) will scratch glass easily. 6. in 
the ren (3) of George III. a tacs (2) was led (2) on tea. 7- The 
boat left the ci (2) and dropped down to the eric (2). 8. We 
par (2) apples and pll (2) oranges. 9. Extremes mit (3). 

10. The pis (2) of nature is broken by a pll (2) of thunder. 

11. I received a burth (2) near the bau (2). 12. No (2) man is 
holi (2) bad. 13. Dha (2) stail (2) of dress should be governed 
by good sens (3). 14. All gret (2) men are in sum (2) degree 
inspired. — Cicero. 

15. O life ! thou art a galling lod (2), 
Along a ruf (2), a weary rod (3) 

To rechez (2) such as ai (2). — Burns. 
16. His figure is so (3) slait (2). 17. that men should put an 
enemy into their mouths, to stil (2) away dhar (2) brains. — 
Shakespeare. 18. 01 (3) go down the long ail. 19. Once more 
into the brlch (2) dear friends. — Shakespeare. 20. To bar (2) 
is to conquer our fate.— Campbell. 21. Fen (3) would I claim (2) 
but that I fear to fall. — Raleigh. 22. A rec (2) past hope he 
was. — Shakesp>eare. 23. Did the water friz (2) near the friz of 
the building? 24. Shir (2) the sheep. 25. The trup (2) appeared 
upon the stage, 26. Sonorous metal blowing marshal (2) sounds. 
— Milton. 27. Cats claim (2) by means of clos (2). 28. Nearly 
el (2) the men able to bar (2) arms had bin (2) drafted into the 
service. 29, He shall come down like ren (2) upon the mon (2) 
grass. — Bible. 30. Millions for defense but (2) net (2) wun (2) 
sent (3) for tribute — Pinckney. 

EXERCISE 16. HOMONYMS (430). 

371. Make sentences containing the following words : 

372. 1. Frays, quarrels; phrase, related tvords. 2. 
Nay, no; neigh, the cry of a horse. 3. Aught, anything; 
ought, bound by duty. 4. Ball, a round body; bawl, to 
shout. 5. Stake, a post, money risked; steak, a slice of 
meat. 6. Foul, dirty, impure; fowl, a bird. 7. Peak, the 
top; pique, ill will. 8. Seinep, a large net for fish; seen, 



34 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

beheld; scene, a view. 9. Hoard, a store; liorcle, a tribe. 

10. Core, the heart of anything; corps, a body of soldiers. 

11. Claws, nails of animals; clause, pari of a complex 
sentence. 12. Serge, a kind of cloth; surge, to move like a 
wave. 13. Ascent, a rising; assent, agreement. 14. Can- 
vass, to examine; canvas, coarse cloth. 15. Collar, dress 
for the neck; choler, anger. 16. Kernel, part of a nut; 
colonel, an officer. 17. Muscle, the flesh of the body; 
mussel, a shell fish. 18. Tract, a region; a small book; 
tracked, did track. 19. Fain, gladly; fane, a temple; 
feign, to pretend. 20. Cord, a string; chord, — in music. 

EXERCISE 17. HOMONYMS. 

373. Define the following words, or use them correctly in sentences: 

374. 1. Pause ; paws. 2. Slay ; sleigh. 3. Ware ; wear. 
4. Brake ; break. 5. Wade ; weighed. 6. Rest ; wrest. 
7. Council ; counsel, 8. Yoke ; yolk. 9. Scull ; skull. 10. 
Mews; muse. 11. Crews; cruise. 12. Sear; sere; seer. 
13. Team ; teem. 14. Cereal ; serial. 15. Seller ; cellar. 
16. Indite ; indict. 17. Complement 1 ; compliment. 18. Keek; 
wreak. 19 Cannon ; canon. 20. Pore ; pour. 

EXERCISE 18. PUN. 

375. A pun is a play upon words, parts of words, or combinations of 
words, resembling others in pronunciation. Do not fall into the habit of 
punning on all occasions. Point out the puns in the following sentences: 

376. 1. Does your mother know your route (you're 
out)? 2. Can a rope walk? Yes, when it is taut. 3. A 
boy being asked, " What is mist?" vaguely responded: 
"My umbrella." 4. It was first known that hogs were 
good to eat when Japhet Ham. It would be a shame not 
to Noah thing so good after eating it. — Baltimore Every 
Saturday*. This Ark-aic style of fun is rather too antiques 
— Fun. 

377. A pun does not commonly justify a blow in return. 
But if a blow were given for such cause, and death ensued. 



LEXICOLOGY. 35 

the jury would be judges both of the facts and of the pun, 
and might, if the latter were of an aggravated character, 
return a verdict of justifiable 1 homicide. Thus, in a case 
lately decided before Miller, J., Doe presented Boe a sub- 
scription 1 paper, and urged the claims of suffering humanity. 
Roe replied by asking, When charity was like a top? It 
was in evidence that Doe preserved a dignified 8 silence. 
Roe then said, " When it begins to hum." Doe then — and 
not till then — struck Roe, and his head happening to hit a 
bound volume of " The Monthly Rag-bag and Stolen Mis- 
cellany," intense mortification 1 ensued, with a fatal result. 
The chief laid down his notions of the law to his brother 
justices, who unanimously 1 replied, "Jest so." The chief 
rejoined, that no man should jest so without being pun- 
ished for it, and charged for the prisoner, who was 
acquitted 8 , and the pun ordered to be burned by the sheriff. 
— Holmes. 

EXERCISE 19. SYNONYMS (431). 

378. Between the most synonymous words a careful writer will have 
a choice; for, strictly speaking there are no synonyms in a language, the 
most closely resembling and apparently equivalent terms having some nice 
shade of distinction. — Wm. Mathews. Substitute the right word where the 
dash is, use the other word if it makes sense, and show the; difference in 
meaning. A free use of the dictionary may be necessary. Thus. Hasten 
denotes quickness, and a desire to accomplish something; hurry is a rash 
or confused haste. "You should hasten to get your lesson," evidently 
expresses the idea intended; but " You should hurry to get your lesson/' 
would be very poor advice. 

379. 1. Aggravate; irritate. You only — the 

wrong by your conduct. He s me by his impudence. 

2. Character; reputation. His is good; but his 

bad. 3. Enough; sufficient 1 . He has — money. 

4. Plentiful 8 ; plenty. The harvest will be . 5. 

Directly; as soon as. — — the speaker began, the 



86 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

audience became quiet. 6. Any; either; both. Was 

[were] of the children * there? 7. As;f like. She 

looks her mother. A man's style fits his thoughts 

a coat fits his figure. 8. Overflown 1 ; overflowed 1 . 

The river has « its banks. 9. Also; likewise 1 . Go 

thou and do - . I went. 10. Stopping 8 ; staying 8 . 

Pres. Harrison is at home. A man once said to his 

friend, " If you come within a mile of my house again, be 
sure to stop." (Did the speaker show much friendship?) 

11. Hung; hanged, Capt s . Nathan Hale was by the 

British. 12. Respectably; respectfully 1 . Speak of 

your seniors. 13. Debase; demean. He will him- 
self by his conduct. 14. Avow; acknowledge?; confess. 

I that I made a mistake. 15. Differ with; t differ fro in. t 

I differ you in differing the gentleman from 

Mississippi. 16. Farther; further. You ran than he. 

17. Older; elder. The man lives in the — house. 

18. None; neither. — — - of the boys § studied the lesson. 

19. Scarcely; hardly. I shall — finish my work to-day 

for I have time enough. 20. Testimony?; evidence. 

Is the all in ? What is there of guilt ? 

21. Rendition 1 ; rendering. Mr. Booth's of Hamlet 

is admirable 1 22. Raise; increase. He said he would 
- — — the rent. 23. Habit; custom. Drinking is a bad 

■ ~ =-. 24. Allow; assert. I — that you are wrong. 

25. Design; propose; contend. I ~ going [to go]. 

380. 1. Corporal 1 ; corporeal.? He deserves 

punishment. 2. Restive; restless 1 . She is very . 



3. Either; each. On side of the river was the tree 

of life. — Bible. 4. Truth; veracity. The — ■ — of history 

* Note the difference in meaning. Are you spe king i.f two i r more than two? 
t As should be used when a verb (Etymology, 73) follows; like when a verb docs not 
follow. As is a conjunction (Etymology, 107j; like is a proposition (Etymology, 103). 
± See list of appropriate prepositions (397). 
§ Are you speaking of two, or more than two? 



LEXICOLOGY. 37 

cannot be denied. He is a man of . 5. Drive; r»uo. 

I want to * in the park this afternoon. 6. At; by. 

We sold our goods auction. 7. Except; unless. 

you desist from the use of strong drink, you will be 

ruined. 8. Persuade; convince 1 , I have — — d him that 
he is wrong. 9. Discover; invent. Bell — 3d the tele- 
phone. 10. Abundance 1 ; plenty. We have to eat. 

11. Less; fewer. No — - than fifty pupils were present, 

and they ate no than a bushel of apples. 12. Quantity; 

number. I saw a of workmen removing a large 

of debris p . 13. Bound; determined. They were to 

go. 14. Disperse; dispensep. They favors on every 

side. 15. Locate; settle. I intend to in the West. 

16. Many; numerous. The good have friends. 

17. Anticipate 1 ; expect. Her death is hourly — ed. 

18. Party; person; man or woman. That is admired 

by all who know her. 19. People; persons. Many 

believe in witchcraft. 20. A couple; two; a pair. I have 

books. He sold me of canaries 8 . I saw a newly 

married on the train. 21. Notwithstanding- 1 ; although. 

they fought bravely, they were defeated. 22. Whole; 

entire. She owns the house. 23. Industrious; 9 

laborious; diligent. The pupils are * 24. Balance; 

remainder. Mr. Hopkins took the of the stock. The 

of the people went home. 25. Allude to; refer to; 

mention. I * you in my letter. 

381. 1. No; not. I will go whether you go or . 



2. Beside; besides. Two of us sat the table. 

3. Distinguish?; discriminate 1 . A child may — between 

light and darkness ; but an adult only, can between 

good and evil. 4. Begin; inaugurates He will soon 

a n«w entorp r j He 5 Transpire 1 ; happen. The accident 

* Use each word and explain the difference in meaning. 



38 PRACTICAL ENGLISH, 



on the Missouri Pacific R. R s . 6. Predicated; 



founded; based. His argument was on hypotheses. 

7. Heading"; caption. What is the of the article to 

which you referred 8 ? 8. Beg-; supplicate 1 . He will • 

aid of his friends. 9. Proud; vain. Perhaps he is too 

. 10. Alone;- only. Jonathan -* went. • 11. 

Dangerous; in danger. He is very sick, but not . 



12. Such; so. I never saw a high tree. 13. Try; 

make. Please * the experiment. 14. Accord 1 ; grant. 

He will you all you ask. 15. Amend; correct; rectify. 

bad habits, and mistakes. 16. Distrusts 1 ; sus- 
pects 1 , The master his servant. 17. How; that. 

I have heard some spake falsely. 18. Masses ; people. 

The — — must be educated. 19. Arduous; difficult 1 . This 

is a very lesson. 20. Disadvantage 1 ; injury. The 

is very great. 21. Very; quite; excessively; exceed- 
ingly. The weather is * hot. Not all were 

there. 22. Hopeless 8 ; desperate. The boy was a 

character. 23. Idle; indolent; lazy. Why stand ye here 

all the day ? — Bible. 24. Capacity; ability. Although 

he had only ordinary , he was a man of . 

25 Beautiful; pretty; handsome. We should not say 
that a man is or , but he may be . 

EXERCISE 20. SYNONYMS (431). 

382. Select the right collective noun in the first paragraph below, 
for each phrase in the second, thus; A pack of wolves. 

1. Fleet; flock; bevy; pack; 'gang; host; shoal; herd; 
troop; covey; galaxy; horde; heap; drove; mob; school; 
congregation; corps; band 

2. Of sheep; of ships; of wolves; of girls; of angels; 
of thieves ; of porpoises ; of beauty ; of oxen ; of- children ; of 

* Supply each word and explain the difference in meaning- 



LEXICOLOGY. 89 

partridges ; of ruffians ; of rubbish ; of whales ; of engineers ; 
of cattle ; of outlaws ; of robbers ; of worshipers. 

EXERCISE 21. ANTONYMS (432). 

383. Familiarity with antonyms very naturally follows a knowledge 
of synonyms. All such exercises help to enlarge our vocabulary; hence 
they are of the greatest practical value. Use in sentences or define each of 
the following words: 

384. 1. Abandon; keep. 2. Bride-groom; bride. 
3. Ability; inability 1 . 4. Earl; countess. 5. Absolute; 
limited. 6. Lord; lady. 7. Absurd; reasonable. 8. Mr.; 
Mrs s . 9. Acute; dull, 10. Youth; maiden, or damsel. 
11. Affinity 1 ; resemblance. 12. Nephew p ; niece. 13. 
Agree; disagree 1 . 14. Monk, or friar; nun. 15. Apply; 
misapply. 16. Author; authoress 1 . 17. Bent; straight. 
18. Dauphin; dauphiness. 19. Bold; timid. 20. Jew; 
Jewess. 21. Careful; heedless 1 . 22. Poet; poetess.* 
23. Civility; incivility. 24. Adventurer 1 ; adventuress. 
25. Cold; warm, or friendly. 

385. 1. Murderer; murderess. 2. Equal; unequal. 
3. Actor; actress. 4. Fail; succeed. 5. Caterer; eatress. 
6. Fine; coarse. 7. Editor; editress. 8. Great; small. 
9. Monitor; monitress. 10. Keen; dull. 11. Prince; 
princess s . 12. Lofty; humble, or low. 13. Songster; 
songstress. 14. Part; whole. 15. Executor; executrix 1 . 
16. Reproach; commend 1 . 17. Prosecutor; prosecutress. 
18. Shallow; deep. 19. Czar; czarina. 20. Marquis; 
marchioness. 21. Simple; wise. 22 Arch-duke s ; arch- 
duchess. 23. Tough; tender. 24. School-master; school- 
mistress. 25. Use; abuse. 

EXERCISE 22. ANTONYMS (432). 

386. Give one or more antonyms for each of the following words: 

387. 1. Abate. 2. Beau. 3. Establish. 4. Master. 

* Some writers are disposed to quit using the feminine ending ess to many words. 



40 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

5. Abundant. 6. Slattern. 7. Adverse. 8. Witch. 9. 
Calmness. 10. Goddess. 11. Insufficient. 12. Governor. 
13. Unsuitable. 14. Sorcerer. 15. Stormy. 16. Bene- 
factor. 17. Uncertain. 18. Director. 19. Fine. 20. 
Instructress: 21. Dark. 22 Proprietor. 23. Cloudy. 

24. Abbot, 25. Hard. 

388. 1. Hero. 2. Sickly. 3. Sultana. 4. Light. 

5. Gentleman. 6. Closed. 7. Step-son. 8. Slow. 9. 
Augusta. 10. Bough. 11. Cornelius. 12. Short. 13. 
Louisa, 14. Strong. 15. Administrator. 16. Unsettled. 
17. Testatrix. 18. Vigorous. 19. Lioness. 20. Crooked. 
21. Tailor. 22. Bighteous. 23. Mayor. 24. Honest. 

25. Land-lady. 

EXERCISE 23. ANTONYMS (432). 

389. Rewrite the following sentences, using or omitting a negative 
word if necessary, with the antonym of the italicised words; as, I hate you. 
I do not love you. 

390. 1. The miser is far from happy. 2. It is difficult 
to get rid of bad habits. 3. The battle of Gettysburg had 
a great influence upon the future of our country. 4. He is 
not unjust. 5. The duration of physical life is not infinite. 

6. That was not a bad hit. 7. He did not succeed. 

EXERCISE 24. PLURALS. 

391. The following nouns have two plural forms. Ob- 
serve the difference in meaning, and use each in a sentence. 
1. Brother : brothers, members of a family; brethren, 
members of a society. 2. l>ie: dies, stamps for coining; 
dice, cubes for gaming. 3. Genius: geniuses, men of 
genius; geni*, spirits. 4. Fish: fishes, individuals; fish, 
quantity or species. 5. Index: indexes, tables of contents; 
indices, exponents. 6. Penny: pennies, coins; pence, 
amount of value. 7. Pea: peas, two or more; pease, kind 



LEXICOLOGY. 41 

or species. 8. Cow: cows, two or more; kino, the kind. 
9. Shot: shot, more than one ball; shots, number of times 
fired. 10. Cannon: cannon, taken collectively; cannons, 
taken separately. 

EXERCISE 25. PURE PiiONOUNS (Etymology, 56, 60). 

392. Select from the words given in parenthesis the correct one- 

393. 1. I suppose every body lias (their, his) trouble. 
2. Each soldier must carry (his, their) knapsack p . 3. Milo 
began to lift the ox when (he, it) was a calf. 4. I have an 
apple and I believe you will like (thern, it). 5. Let every 
one please (themselves 1 , himself). 6. The jury gave in 
(their, its) 'verdict at noon. 7. Mr. Buckner and (myself, 
I) work in the same room. 8. I should think that James 
or Thomas would exert (themselves, himself) to be present. 
9. The honest man and the knave, too, have (their, his) 
friends. 10. Taste the molasses; you will like (them, it). 
11. If you want a horse or a cow I can tell you where to 
find (them, it). 12. The jury differed 8 in (its, their) 
opinion. 13. The horse and wagon is for sale; who wants 
to buy (them, it) ? 14. Property should be held by (their, 
its) rightful 1 owner. 15. Each occupied (their, his) own 
premises; and farmed (his, their) own land. 

EXERCISE 26. CONJUNCTIVE PRONOUNS (Etymology, 58). 

394. Who represents persons; which, inferior animals and things 
without life; what things; and that both persons and things. That is 
generally used instead of who or which, after the words all, wlio, same, ever// 
and very; after it used indefinitely, after an adjective (Etymology. 03) or 
an adverb (Etymology, 98) in the superlative (Etymology, G9), and 
after two antecedents, one of which requires wlio, the other which. When 
who, which, or what ask questions, who asks for the name of the person; 
which, for the individual person or thing meant; and what, for a tiling or a 
description. Put who, which, what, or that, as required by the above rules, 
in place of the dash in each of the following sentences: 

395. 1. William was the last boy entered. 2. What 



42 



PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 



was that creature 



Job called Leviathan? 3. All 



knew her admired her. 4. This lubberly boy we sometimes 

call Falstaff, is but another name for fat and firm. 

5. Both the rider and the steed we saw were killed. 



6. Was it you 



called me? 7. He is a Christian 



does as he would be done by. 8. He was the closest 

student I ever saw. 9. The feast was in honor of 

Bacchus is the name of the God of wine. 10^ He 

— — is careless will not succeed. 11. There are the man 

and the horse I wished you to notice. 12. * 

was the boy spoke? Answer: . 13. book 

have you? 



EXERCISE 27. PREPOSITIONS (Etymology, 103). 

396. Care is necessary in the choice of prepositions to select those 
which usage has sanctioned. Put an appropriate object (Syntax, 107) 
after each of the following: 

397. 

xlccord with. 

Accuser/ crime, by one's friend. 

Adapted to a thing, for a purpose. 

Agree with persons, to things, 

Averse to. 

Bestow upon. 

Boast or brag of yourself. 

Call on. 

Capacity for. 

Confide in, confide it to. 

Compliance with. 

Concur toith a person, in a measure. 

Convenient to a thing, for a purpose. 

Conversant with persons; in affairs; 

about subjects. 
Correspond with; corresponds to. 
Dependent on, upon. 
Derogatory to. 
Die 0/ disease; by the instrument. 



Differ from or with a person, between 

things. 
Difficulty in. 
Disappointed in. 
Disapprove of. 
Discourage from. 

Disgusted at conduct, with persons. 
Dissent from. 
Exception to. 

Expert at doing, in things. 
Free from. 
Independent of. 
Inroad into. 
Insist upon. 

Introduce to a person, into a place. 
Intrude upon a person, into a place. 
Marry to. 

Martyr for a cause, to a disease. 
Need of. 



* Either who or which is correct. Write the answer required by using them in the order 
given. 



LEXICOLOGY. 



43 



Notice of. 

Observance of. 

Prejudicial to. 

Prejudice against. 

Productive of. 

Profit by. 

Provide for persons, with 

against occurrences. 
Eeconcile to another, with what 

seems wrong. 



things, 



Resemblance to. 

Reduce to a state, under subjection. 

Regard for. 

Swerve from. 

Taste of what is actually enjoyed, 

for what we have the capacity 

of enjoying. 
Unite to, or with. 
Vest in a person, with authority. 
Worthy of. 



EXERCISE 28. A, AN, AND THE. 

398. An isused before words beginning with any vocals 
(Pronunciation, 132) except long u, and before words be- 
ginning with the sound h if the accent is on the second 
syllable ; as, an aunt ; an historical scene. A is used else- 
where ; as a castle ; a hypothetical case ; a imit. Words 
beginning with a vowel (Spelling, 92) do not always be- 
gin with a vocal sound; as, a one-horse wagon. 

399. Put a or an in place of each dash. 1. apple. 

2. yeoman. 3. herb. 4. holiday. 5. 

union. 6. Many one. 7. university. 8. 

honorable man. 9. — 



European. 10. 



holy man, 



400. A, an, or the must be used before each of two or 
more words referring to one person or thing separately; 
but before the first only when they refer to one, or to more 
than one taken as one. What is the difference in meaning 
between, a white and black coat, and a white and a black 
coat ? They appointed a secretary and treasurer. (How 
many officers?) 

401. Use or omit the a, an, or the where the dashes 

are, as required by the rule. 1. horse and wagon 

were sold for $100. 2. horse and wagon was sold 

for $100. 3. lily or rose is a beautiful" object. 

4? — — boy and girl ate their dinners. 5. house 



44 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

and barn were destroyed by fire. 6. He is a better 

scholar than — — teacher. 

402. A, an, or the are usually omitted 3 before nouns 
referring to the kind generally, or to a part indefinitely; 
before a word used merely as a title, and before a word used 
merely as a word; as, Virtue is more desirable than gold. 
He was called colonel. Kernel is the homonym of colonel. 
Correct the following: 1. The copper is more ductile 
than the iron. 2. The cattle are quadrupeds. 3. The 
man is mortal. 4. The captain Smith has resigned. 5. The 
oak is the name of a tree. 

EXERCISE 29. AUXILIARIES (Etymology, 93). 

403. Be is used in expressing an act or state as progressing, and to 
show that the thing acted upon is the subject (Syntax, 101); as, 2" am 
reading. Henry teas struck by John. 

Note. — Be or any of its forms should not be used for have; as, I am 
just arrived. 

404. Do is used to express emphasis; as, I do believe; in negative 
statements; as, I do not know; in interrogative sentences (Syntax, 90); as, 
Do you know me? and sometimes to avoid a repetition of the verb (Etymol- 
ogy, 73); as, She learns faster than you do [learn]. 

405. Have and had are used to express completed time; as, They 
have gone. 

406. Shall (should*) is used with I and we to express time to come; 
with other subjects to express determination on the part of the speaker; acs, 
/ shall go. They shall go. 

407. Will (would*) is used with I and we to express determination; 
with other subjects to express time to come; as. He will go. We will go. 

408. Can (could) signifies ability; as, He can go. 

409. May (might) signifies liberty or permission; as, May I go f or 
possibility; as, He may have gone. 

410. Must signifies necessity of action, being or state; as, He must 
go; or necessity of belief; as, He must have written the letter. 

411. Put shall or will in the place of each dash: 1. I 
be free! 2. I punish him? 3. I f be 



* Should and would are generally used in sentences containing a verb expressing past 

time. They are subject to the same laws a=» shall and will. 

t Either shall or will may be Used; explain the difference in meaning. 



LEXICOLOGY. 45 

elected. 4. When I see you again ? 5. Thou 

not steal. 6. I j- never laugh again. 7. I believe I 

receive a letter to-day. 8. I stay and so 

you. 9. ■ you take your tea to-night, and I bring 

it in ? 10. O, I die ; I expire in a fit of laughter. 

11. Help, help, I — be murdered. 12. I drown, 

nobody ■ help me. 

13. We drain our dearest veins. 

But they — be free. — Burns. 

EXERCISE 30. MISCELLANEOUS WORDS. 

412. Many of the agricultural journals are sorely 
troubled to know whether a hen sits or sets. If some 
editor of dignity would set a hen on a nest, and the editor 
would let her sit, it would be well f or the world. Now a man 
can set a hen, although he could not sit her. A man can 
not set on a wash bench ; but he could set the basin on it. 
He could sit on a dog's tail if the dog were willing, or he 
might set his foot on it. But if he should set on the afore- 
said tail, or sit his foot there, the grammarian, as well as 
the dog, would howl. And yet, strange as it may seem, 
the man might set the tail aside and then sit down, and not 
be assailed by either the dog or the grammarian. — Exchange. 

413. Put the light word in the right place: 1. L.ie;f 

lay.f Rise f raise. Sit ;f set.f I saw the man down, 

from his couch, and in a chair. I will my 

book down, my chair aside, and the window. 

The protest quietly on the table. 2. As ; which. We 

give you such a reward will satisfy you. 3. Love ; 

like. Do you green peas? 4. To form; of; for 

forming. It was an instance of his love comparisons. 

5. Awfully ; very. They are j°Uy- 6. To meet ; for 

* Either shall or will msij be used ; explain tli difference in meaning, 
t See list of irregular verbs (Etvmology, 131). 



46 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

meeting*. He made an effort them. 7. Decease ; 

disease. The remedy is worse than the . 8. Learn ; 

teach. They me diligence. 9. But; except. For 

this difference no other general cause can be assigned 

culture and education. 10. Funny; strange. It is 

that I can not recollect it. 11. Passable; practicable. 

The road began to become a little -. 12. Facility; 

felicity. Our own we make or find. 13. Profit; 

prophet. The best = of the future is the past. 14. At; 

on; in. The Greeks, fearing to be surrounded all 

sides, wheeled about and halted, with the river their 

backs. I am from America, where my home is — — the 

North. 15. Calculate ; intend. I to go West in the 

spring. 16. But; than. They have no desire to 

learn. The loafer seemed to be created for no other pur- 
pose to keep up the ancient and honorable order of 

idleness. 17. Reckon; believe. They will not try that 

again, I . 18. Gentlemen; men. Ladies; women. 

— — have as much curiosity as . 19. Veracity; 

voracity. He is a man of unquestioned ■ . 20. Desert?; 

dessertp. Will you have ? 21. Section; neighborhood. 

The people are very sociable in our . 22. Propose ; 

purpose. I to write a true history. 23. Lean; lien. 

I had a upon the estate. 24. Incite ; insight. Pontiac 

ed the Indians p to revolt, 25. Medal; meddle. — -r 

not with the affairs of others. 26. Transpire ; pass. Sev- 
eral weeks have ed and nothing has been done. 27. 

Posted ; informed. This man keeps himself well . 

28. Most; almost. I have spent of my money. 29. 

Poplar; popular. Whatever is deserves attention 1 . 

30. Surplicep; surplus. The is made of linen. 



LEXICOLOGY. 

414. Lexicology treats of the formation and meaning 
of words. 



I, ORIGIN OF WORDS. 

415. A Simple, ox primitive, word is a single significant term; as, 
Ileal 

416. A Complex, or derivative, word is one formed from some other 
word by placing a modifying letter, syllable, or syllables before or after it; 
as, healing. (4-114.) 

417. A Compound word is two or more simple or complex w T ords 
combined into one; as, man-servant (Spelling, 28-9) 



II. PARTS OF WORD8. 

418. A Prefix is the part of a complex word placed before the base; 
as, an ^'-slavery. (2-45.) 

419. A Suffix is the part of a complex word placed after the base; 
as, i\ nti-s\&Y ery . (46-114.) 

420. The Base of a complex or compound word is the part represent 
in g the leading idea; as, anti-slavery. (115-332.) 

421. Paronyms are words derived from the same base; as, deism, 
deist, deify, etc., from deus. (115-7, 361-3.) 



III. SIMPLICITY (333-44). 

422. Simplicity requires the use of the simplest words that will 
express the idea. Anglo Saxon and familiar words are generally the best. 
1339-344.) A Labored Style, Bombast, or Affectation, should be avoided. 
(345-8.) 

47 



48 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

IV. PURITY (349-59). 

423. Purity is that quality of language which consists in using words 
in good repute with all English-speaking peoples 

424. English words are those that are almost universally used by 
English-speaking peoples; opposed to Foreign words (353.) 

425. Modern words are those now in use ; opposed to Obsolete words 
|354.) 

426. Authorized, or Established, words are those that are actual y 
used by educated people; opposed to Unauthorized and Newly-coined words. 
(355-6.) 

427. Universal words are those used by a 1 Euglish speaking peoples; 
opposed to Local, or Provincial, words. (357-8.) 

428. Reputable words are those used by refined people; opposed t» 
Slang or Vulgar words (359.) 



V. ACCURACY (360-413). 

429. Accuracy is that quality of language which consists in using 
the right woi d in the right place. 

Note — See 421 for definition of Paronyms. (361-3.) 

430. Homonyms are words that are alike in spelling or pronuncia- 
tion, but different in meaning; as, to, too, tioo. (364-377.) 

431. Synomyms are words that are alike or similar in meaning; as, 
listen, hearken. (378-382 ) 

432. Antonyms are words that are strongly opposed or contrasted in 
meaning. The difference may be in sex, quality, direction, etc.; as, heavy, 
light. (383-390.) 

433. Remauk. — Other exercises on Accuracy will be found in 392- 
413 which do not require definition here. 



PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 



Paet IV 



ETYMOLOGY 



BY 



E. R BOOTH, A. B. 

Principal Tkchnical School, Cincinnati, O. 



Syllables govern the world. — Coke. 

Words lead to things : a scale is more precise, — 
Coarse speech, bad grammar, swearing, drinking, vice. — Holmes. 
In language and in literature, nothing can save us from ceaseless revolution but a 
frequent recourse to the primitive authorities and recognized canous of highest 
perfection —Marsh. 



CHICAGO, ILL. 
A. FLANAGAN, Publishes, 






Copyrighted, 1889, 

BT 

A. Flanagan, 









CONTENTS. 



1. Nouns (N.),* 
I 1 



2 1 . 



4 1 , 



40.* Exercises, 2-7 

Exercises, 2 and 3 

Definition, 41 

Definition, 42 

- Definition, 43 
Exercises, 3 and 4 

- Definition, 44 
Definition, 45 

Exercises, 4 and 5 
Definition, 46 

- Definition, 47 
Definition, 48 

- Definition, 49 
Exercises, 6 and 7 

Definition, 50 
Definition, 51 
Definition, 52 



Definition, 

Kind, 

I 2 . Proper (p.), - 
2*. Common (a), 
3 2 . Collective (co.), 
Number, - 

l 2 . Singular (s.), - 
2 2 . Plural (p.), 
Gender, t 

l 2 . Masculine (m.), 
2 2 . Feminine (f.), 
3 2 . Neuter (n.), 
4 2 . Common (a), - 
Case, - - - - 

l 2 . Nominative (n.), - 

2 2 . Possessive (p.), 
3 2 . Objective (o.), 
5 1 . Use. 

I 2 . Subject of a Predicate (s.), - Definition, Syntax, 101 

2 2 . Subject of an Infinitive (os.), Definition, Syntax, 109 

3 2 . Attribute of a Copulative Verb (at.), Definition, Syntax, 111 
4 2 . Attribute of a Copulative Infinitive (oat.), Definition, Syn- 
tax, 111. 
5 2 . Attribute of a Copulative Participle (at.), Definition, Syntax, 

111. 
6 2 . Object of a Transitive Verb (o.), Definition, Syntax, 107 
7 2 . Object of a Transitive Infinitive (o.), Definition, Syntax, 107 
8 2 . Object of a Transitive Participle (o.), Definition, Syntax, 107 
9 2 . Object of a Preposition (o.), - Definition, Syntax, 107 
10 2 . Possessive modifier of a Participle(p.), Definition, Syntax, 114 
Possessive modifier of a Substantive (p.) Definition, Syntax, 

114. 
Appositive modifier of a Substantive (ap.), Definition, Syn- 
tax, 116. 
IB 2 . Independent (ind.), Definition Syntax, 122 and 125 

♦The signs for the terms are in parentheses. The numbers are for the paragraphs. 

3 



ll 2 . 



12 2 . 



4 CONTENTS. 

2. Pronouns (P.), - - - Definition, 54. Exercises, 8-11 

J 1 . Kinds, ----- Exercises, 8 and 

l 2 . Pure (p.), ----- Definition, 56 

2 2 . Substantive (s.) ; - Definition, 57 

3 2 . Conjunctive (a), - - - - Definition, 58 

2 1 . Number. ) Same as Nouns, Definition, 44-9, and 59. Exercises, 
3 1 . Gender. ) 4 and 5. 

4 1 . Case. (See Nouns, 50-2.) 

5 1 . Use. Sames as Nouns,; also 

14 2 . As a Subordinate Connective (cs.), Definition, Syntax, 128 

3. Adjectives (A ), - - Definition, 63. Exercises. 12-7 

I 1 . Kind, -.-_.- Exercises, 12-3 

l 2 . Pure (p ), - . - - Definition, 64 

2 2 . Substantive (s.), - Definition, 65 

2 1 . Number, - - - - - Exercises, 16-7 

l 2 . Singular (s.), - - - Definition, 66 

2 2 . Plural (p.), - Definition, 66 

3 1 . Degree, ...--- Exercises, 14-5 

l 2 . Positive (p.), - - - Definition, 67 

2 2 . Comparative (a), - - - - Definition 68 

3 2 . Superlative (s.), - - - Definition, 69 

4 1 . Use 

l 2 . Modifier of a Noun or Pronoun (mod.), Definition, Syntax. 118 
2 2 . Attribute of a Copulative Verb or Verbal as weir as a modifier 

(at.), Definition, Syntax, 111. 
3 2 . As a Noun ^See symbols for use of Nouns above). 

L Verbs ^V.) and Verb Phrases (Vp.), Definitions, 73 -4. Exercises, 18-23 

I 1 . Kind, ------ Exercises, 18-9 

l 2 . Transitive (t.), - - - - Definition, 75 

2 2 . Intransitive (L), - * - - Definition, 76 

3 2 . Copulative (c), - - - - Definition, 77 

2 1 . Style, .-.-.- Exercises, 22-3 

l 2 . Ordinary (o.), - Definition, 78 

2 2 . Sacred (s.), ----- Definition, 79 ' 

3 1 . Conjugation, ----- Exercises, 22-3 

l 2 . Regular (r.), - Definition, 80 
2 2 . Irregular (i.), - - - Definition, 81. 120-1 

4 1 . Form, ------ Exercises, 22-3 

l 2 . Name (n.), - - - Definition, 82 

2 2 . Singular (s.), .... Definition, 83 

3 2 . Past (p.), - - • - Definition, 84 

4 2 . Complete (a), - Definition, 85 

5 2 . Progressive (pr.) - - - Definition, 86 

5 1 . Use. 



CONTENTS. 

l 2 . Predicate of a Subject (p.), Definition, Syntax, 104 

2 2 . With an Auxiliary to form a Predicate Phrase (pp.), Defini- 
tion, Syntax, 104. 

5. Verbals (Vb.) and Verbal-Phrases (Vbp.), Definitions, 88-9. Exer- 

cises, 20-2. 

^ Conjugation, f Same as Verbs, - - - Exercises, 20-2 

3 1 . Form, ------ Exercises, 20-2 

l 2 . Infinitive (i.), .... Definition, 90 

2 2 . Participle (p.), - - - Definition, 91 

4 1 . Use. 

I 2 . As a Noun. (S e symbols for use of Noun above.) 

2 2 . As an Adjective. (See symbols for use of Adjective above.) 

3 2 . As an Adverb. (See symbols for use of Adverb below.) 

6. Auxiliary (Au.), - - - Definition, 93. Exercises, 24-5 

l 1 . Kind, ------ Exercises, 24 

l' 2 . Pure (p,), .... Definition, 94 

2 2 . Mixed (m.) - - - - - Definition, 95 

2 1 . Style. Same as Verbs, - - - Exercises, 26-7 

3 1 , Form, - - - - - - Exercises, 26-7 

l 2 . Name (n.), .... Definition. 82 

2 2 . Singular (s.), - . - - Definition, 83 

3 2 . Past (p.), - Definition, 84 

4 1 . Use To give some particular shade of meaning to the Predicate 
(with ). (For the specific use of each Auxiliary, see Lexi- 
cology, 403-410.) 

7. Adverbs (Av.) and Adverb-Phrases (Avp.), Definition, 98-9. Exer- 

cises, 28-31. 

I 1 . Kind, ------ Exercises, 28-9 

l 2 . Pure (p.), ----- Definition, 100 

2 2 . Conjunctive (a), - - - Definition, 101 

2 1 . Degree. Same as Adjective, Definition, 66-8. Exercises, 28-9 

8 l . Use. 

I 2 . Modifier of an Adjective (mod.), Definition, Syntax, 120 
2 2 . Modifier of a Verb (mod.), - Definition, Syntax, 120 

3 2 . Modifier of a Verbal (mod.), Definition, Syntax, 12 > 

4 2 . Modifier of an Adverb (mod.), - Definition, Syntax. 120 
5 2 . Modifier of a Preposition (mod.). Definition, Syntax, 120 
6 2 . As a Subordinate Connective (cs.), Definition, Syntax, 128 

8. Piiepositions(p.), - - Definition, 103. Exercises, 30-1 

l 1 . Kind, Exercises, 30-1 

I s . Simple (s.), ..... Definition, 104 
Complex (a), ... - Definition, 105 



6 CONTENTS. 

2 1 . Use, With a Substantive to form an Adjective or an Adverb 
Phrase (with ). 

9. Conjunctions (C), - * Definition, 107. Exercises, 32-3 

l 1 . Kind, -..--- Exercises, 82-2 

l 2 . Coordinate (c), - Definition 108 

2*. Correlative (co.), - - - Definition, 109 

3 2 . Subordinate (s.), .... Definition, 110 

2K Use. 

I 2 . As a Coordinate Connective (cc), Definition, Syntax, 127 
2 2 . With a Coordinate Connective (with — ), Definition, Syntax, 

127, note. 
3 2 . As a Subordinate Connective (cs.), Definition, Syntax, 126 

10. Interjections (I.), - - Definition, 112. Exercises, 34-5 

l 1 . Kind, - - - - - - Exercises, 31-5 

l 2 . Pure (p.), - - - Definition, 113 

2 2 . Mixed (m.), - Definition, 114 

2 1 . Use. Independent (ind ), - Definition, Syntax, 123 

11. Kesponsive (R.), - - - Definition, 116. Exercises, 34-5 

l 1 . Kind, - - - -. - - Exercises, 34-5 

l 2 . Affirmative (a.), - Definition, 117 

2 2 . Negative (n ), - - - Definition, 118 

2 1 . Use. Independent (ind.), - - Definition, Syntax, 124 



ETYMOLOGY (37). 

1. In each of the following exercises, study carefully the definitions 
indicated in parentheses, then look for all the words called for. Study well 
the illustrations given in parentheses after the first sentence in each exercise. 
By observing carefully the exact order in which the points relating to the 
etymology of a word are given, and by reference to the Table of Contents, 
you will soon become familiar with that order and the symbols will be per- 
fectly intelligible. Do not fail to study the marginal references, and note 
carefully the Pronunciation (p), Spelling (s), and Lexicology (1) of the 
words indicated. 

EXERCISE 1. NOUNS (40). 

2. Point out the nouns in the following aniJ tell what kind (40-3) 
each is. 

3. 1. The society meets every Tuesday p at the hall. 
[Society — N'j* c*. ) 2. Dot your i's and cross your t's. 
(JT's — n, c. j 3. — is the sign of subtraction 1 . 4. Blessed 
are the pure in heart for they shall see God. — Bible. 
5. Lowell the poet resides in Cambridge, Mass". 6. A 
horde of barbarians 1 overran the country. 7. A bad work- 
man quarrels with his tools. 8. The idle boy takes no 
pains to learn. 9. Industry produces 15 wealth. 10. All 
that is shall be turned to was.f 

EXERCISE 2. NOUNS (40). 

4. Tell the kind (40-3), number (44-5), and gender (46-9) of each 
of the following nouns. 

5. 1. Bravery. [Bravery — N, c, s, n. ) 2. Honey. 
3. Armadillos". 4. Soliloquy. 5. SalmonP. 6. Knight 
Templar 8 . 7. Effluvia. 8. Hen-sparrow s . 9. Diaeresis. 
10. Honesty 1 . 11. Georgiana 8 . 12. Handkerchief p. 

* See Table of Contents for explanation of symbols, 
t Name of a time. 

7 



8 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

13. Genii. 14. News. 15. Army. 16. Administratrix. 
17. Ignes fatui s . 18. Baroness 1 . 19. Tongs*. 20. Heathen. 
21. Hysterics. 22. Pains. 23. 5's. 21. Peas. 25. Pair. 

EXERCISE 3. NOUNS (40), 

6. Parse (38) the nouns in the following sentences in full (40-53), 
observing carefully the instructions given in 1. 

7. 1. Nature does nothing in vain. — Addison. [Nature 
— N, c, n, s, n, s of does. ) 2. John's 8 father has not been 
here since then. 3. The lady of the house — the queen of 
Ashantee. 4 With God there is no shall be. 5. Prayer* 
is the key of the morning and the bolt of the night. — Beecher. 
6. What is more important 1 than the how ? 7. One draw in 
the bridge was left open. 8. The committee made its 
report. 9. George Washington became president of the 
United States in 1789. 10. A herd p of cattle was lost in 
the storm. 

EXERCISE 4. PRONOUNS (54). 

8. Find the pronouns in the following sentences, tell what kind 
(Biy-S) of a pronoun each is, and name its antecedent (55). 

9. I defy him. (J — P, p, ant. is the name of the 
speaker.) 2. Nathan said to David, "Thou art the man/ 1 
3. They ran to my house. 4. Give me what [the thing 
which J* you have. 5. What is worse than lying? 
6. [Hej Whosoeverf will may come. 7. Take what [that 
which j is needed. 8. From which town did you come? 
9. Hallowed be thy name. 10. Smoking is a habit that-f is 
usually disagreeable 1 to the one that does not indulge in it. 
11. That is the one** that I saw. 12. He took the large 
apple and gave me the small one. 13. Who knows what* 
is best? 14. Your horse is bay; minej is black. 15. The 
dowers which bloomed have died. 16. You misunderstood 

*58, Note. t58. **60. *57. 



ETYMOLOGY. 9 

her remark. 17. Whom do 1 see? 18. Whose horse 6 de- 
stroyed the tree? 19. Whom the Lord loveth he cha denethfi. 
— Bible. 20. I give you such as* I have. 21. The boohs 
which help you most are those which moke you think most. 
—Thea Parker. 22. Read whichever book you prefer. 

23. Who* steals my purse steals trash. — Shakespeure. 

24. Whoso findeth 1 me findeth life. — Bible. 25. I know 
what architect? drew the plans. 

EXERCISE 5. PRONOUNS (54). 

10. Parse the pronouns in the following sentences in full (54-02); 
also all the nouns, or such of them as the leacher may designate. 

11. 1. Whichf pen do you prefer? ( Which — P, p, ant. 
is John's, my, this, or some other word understood 1 ; c, s, p, 
mod. pen. ) 

2. I dare do all that becomes a man; 

Who dares do more is none. — Shakespeare. 
3. He got what he wanted. 4. Whatever goods were left 
were sold. 5. Who would be free, themselves must strike 
the blow. — Byron. 

6 What in me is dark, 

Illumine 1 ; what is low, raise and support. — Milton. 
7. You know who took the pencil. 8. What we learn in 
oar youth groivs up with us, and in time becomes a part of 
the mind itself. 9. He is not as clever as you [ J. 

10. Mortals that would follow me, 

Love virtue; she alone is free. — Milton. 
11. Whatever is, is right. — Pope. 12. I hope I shall 
(dways possess firmness 1 and virtue enough to maintain what 
I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character* of 
an honest man. — Washington. 13. In whatever stale I am, 
I am always 8 content. 11. My sword and yours are kin. 

•58. 

+ May be used for a noun, pronoun, or adjective. 



10 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

— Shakespeare. 15. Which do you want? 16. Hail to the 
chief 8 who in triumph 13 advances.— Scott 17. How sure it 
is that if we say a true word, instantly we feel that it is 
God's, not ours, and pass it on. — Elizabeth B. Browning. 
18. Give me what money you have. 19. They that touch 
pitch will be defiled. 20. I know what he said. 

EXERCISE 6. ADJECTIVES (63). 

12. Point out the adjectives in the following sentences, and tell what 
kind (64-5) each is. 

13. 1. Beautiful 8 , fine, woolen shawls are made in Asia. 
(Beautiful — A, p.) 2. Hear the charming 1 music. 
3. This* is a lovely 3 day. 4. Many have perished. 
5. " The American people are energetic," Mr.f Francis 
says. 6. Some* came to scoff p ; others to learn. 7. The 
cotton crop will be small. 8. Some are poor because others 
are rich. 9. Make a round o and a straight i. 10. Evil 
thoughts are more dangerous 1 than wild beasts. 11. He 
took one boy's 8 books and left the other's. 12. They loved 
each* other. 13. The young* have many joys; the old 
have fewer. 

14. Three black crows sat on a tree, 

And they were black as black could be. 
15. The heights by great men gained and kept 

Were not attained} by sudden flight. — Longfellow. 

EXERCISE 7. ADJECTIVES (63). 

14. Write the positive degree (67) of each of the following words in 
one column, the comparative (68) in another, and the superlative (69) in 
another. 

15. 1. Large. 2. Less. 3. 111. 4. Beautiful.** 
5. Spry.** 6. First 7. Far. 8. Noble.** 9. Happy. 
10. Polite. 11. Higher 1 . 12. Most. 13. Inferior. 
14. Circular?. 15. Late. 

*65. t64. **71. 



ETYMOLOGY. 11 

EXERCISE 8. ADJECTIVES (63). 

16. Parse the adjective in full (63-72). When an adjective does 
not express number (66) or has no degree, put a dash ( — ) in where the 
number, or degree, belongs. 

17. 1. The straightest 1 trees grow in dark woods. 
(Straightest, — A, p, — , s, mod. trees.) 2. A botanical 1 
party saw a niglit blooming cereus last evening. 3. The 
stream is twelve 1 feet wide. 4. Those rainy days were 
most delightful. 5. Three apples are better than one. 6. 
Please sing the ninety-seventh 3 hymnP. 7. Birds will learn 
one of another. — Bacon. 8. Autunm p is more pleasant 1 
than winter. 9. Five sorts of type were used. 10. More- 
money is wanted. 11. A* few men were present. 12. A 
million stars wander through space. 13. Neither suits me. 
14. The conspicuous* features of pre-eminent merit need not 
the coloring pencil of imagination nor the florid decorations 
of rhetoric*. — Hamilton. 

15. The day is cold, and dark, and dreary 1 , 
It rains and the wind is never weary. 
The vine still clings to the mouldering 1 wall, 
And at every gust the dead leaves fall, 
And the day is dark and dreary. — Longfellow. 

EXERCISE 9. VERBS (73). 

18, Point out the verbs and verb phrases (74) in the following sen- 
tences and tell the kinQ, (75-7) of each. 

19. 1. Caesar defeated Pompey. [Defeated — v. t. ) 2. 
We leaved for home to-morrow. 3. The house burned up.§ 
4. Bef industrious 8 . 5. The criminal 1 appearsf honest. 
6. Keep on with your work. 7. The officer came]: quickly. 1 
8. He camef unexpected 1 . 9. I left the book for you. 10. 
The culprit went away sad. 11. He lived a saint and died 
a martyr. 12. The train was made up at Kirkwood. 13. 

*D8. f77. *76. §74. 



12 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

Sing a song p . 14. An effort made for the happiness* of 
others lifts us above ourselves.— Mrs, Childs. 15. The sun 
sets in the west. 16. She smiled on* him. 17. They 
stood out an hour. 18. Let him be praised. 19. The girl 
read well. 20. What a funny 8 speech that was ! 

EXERCISE 10. VERBALS (88). 

20. Parse all the verbals in full (88-92). 

21. 1. He began playing 1 . [Playing — Vb, i, r, p, used 
as a JV, the o of began.) 2. He is to teach. 3. The run- 
ning brook teaches 8 a lesson of industry. 4. He had an ax 
to grind. 5. My coat is dripping 8 wet. 6. A great man is 
always trilling to be little. — Emerson. 7. I see men as trees 
walking. 8. I see a man cutting wood. 9. The boy seems 

stubborn. 10. True politeness 1 is the spirit of 
benevolence^ showing itself in a refined way. — Beecher. 

EXERCISE 11. VERBS AND VERBALS. 

22. Parse the verbs and verbals in full (73-92); also the nouns, pro- 
nouns, and adjectives if the teacher think the practice needed. 

23. 1. He always mistered to his elders. (Mistered, — V, 
t, o, r, p, the p of He. ) 2. Seven times eight is fif ty-six s . 3. 
They want to study philology 1 . 4. Two and three make 
five. 5. The scholar p and the poet was also the Christian 
and the patriot. 6. He is engaged in studying 8 his geog- 
raphy 1 . 7. Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast. 
8. We lay down to rest. 9. To persevere is one' 8* duty and 
to be silent is the best answer to calumny. — Washington. 
10. The wheel and axle is used to lift heavy weights 13 . 11. 
They are to become teachers. 12. The company leaves to- 
morrow. 13. The end of learning is to know God, and out 
of that knowledge to love Him and to imitate Him. — Milton. 

*74. 



ETYMOLOGY. 1 



14. Away with him. 15. When thou doest p alms let not 
thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. — Bible. 
16. He prayeth 1 best who loveih best 

All things, both great and small. — Coleridge. 
17. That out-Herods Herod. 18. Whoever pursueth pleas- 
ure findeth pain. 19. A large number were induced 1 to 
enlist. 20. The wages of sin is death. 

EXERCISE 12. AUXILIARIES (93). 

24. Point out the <mxiliaries and tell what kind (94-5) each is. 
JMake a sentence using each mixed auxiliary (95) as a verb or verbal. 

25. 1. I do believe him. (Z)o— Au, m, o, n, used for 
emphasis. They do well. ) 2. May we listen to the music ? 

3. He has caught a bird. 4. The bird has been caught by 
me. 5. The house is being moved. 6. You have confessed 1 
yourself a spy. 7. Shall we study now? 8. She is to be 
educated. 9. I must stay but he will go if he can [ j. 
10. Nothing great or good can be accomplished without toil. 
— A. H. Stevens*. 11. Knowledge and timber should not be 
.rwii used till they are seasoned 1 '. — Holmes. 

EXERCISE 13. VERBS. VERBALS AND AUXILIARIES. 

26. Parse the verbs, the verbals, and the auxiliaries (93-4)7) in full. 

27. 1. Has Lucius overcome his habit of swearing? 
2. The work is done. 3. Having 8 recited they took a recess. 

4. We ought to have studied". 5. I shall have been here 
four months before I learn to do the work. 6. Thou shalt 
lo no murder. 7. He that allows himself to be a worm 
must not complain if he is trodden* upon. — Kant. 8. Spring 
coming, the flowers will bloom. 9. The wind bloweth 
where it listeth 1 and thou hearest e the sound thereof but 
canst not tell whence it cometh or whither 5 it goeth. — Bible. 
10. Thou sludi uol bear false witness. — Bible. 



14 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

EXERCISE 14. ADVERBS (98;. 

28, Parse the adverbs (98-102) and adverb phrases (99-102) in the 

following sentences and such other words as the teacher suggests. 

29. 1. She moves very gracefully 1 . [Very — Ad, p, — , 
mod. gracefully.) 2. Tell me when* he will come. 3. She 
reads well in public. 4. Verily 8 , I say unto you. 5. This 
is the place where he lay. 6. When vice prevails misery 
abounds, 7. They talked ever so long. 8. I shall see 
Zachariah p when he comes. 9. Howf did they act? 10. 
He saw how* I solved the problem. 11. I will come 
oftener. 12. I showed him how it was. 

13. Where ignorance is bliss 
'Tis* folly to be icise. — Gray. 
14. Improve time as it flies. 15. They could talk whole 
hours [being] together. 16. They were most profoundly 
impressed. 17. The procession marched to and fro. 18. 
I do not know why he left, how r or where he went, or when 
he returned. 19. The more we work the easier ivork 
becomes. 20. Good moring, Mr. Brown, you are first at 
last, you always were behind before; I am glad to see you 
early of late. 

EXERCISE 15. PREPOSITIONS (103) AND ADVERBS. 

30, Parse the prepositions (103-106) and adverbs in the following 
sentences. 

31. 1 He wall see me before leaving the city. (Before 
— Pr, s, with leaving to form an adverb-phrase.) 2. The 
case of Smith versus Jones. 3. Help me out of§ this dif- 
ficulty. 4. We are out of w r ork. 5. The meteor fell through 
the air nearly to the ground. 6. He is a good for nothing 
fellow. 7. Who among you can tell the use of "for 
nothing" in the above sentence? 8. They went inside 

] the room. 9. Did the dog come from under the 

*101. +100, *105. 



ETYMOLOGY. 15 

house? 10. Butter costs twenty-five 8 cents per pound. 
11. He is either for or against us. 12. All except Lazarus 
were dismissed 1 . 

13. The boy stood on the burning deck 

Whence all but him had fled. — Hemans. 
14. He went from here. 15. God and his son except 
HaughP valued he nor feared. — Milton. 16. They are en- 
gaged in building a house. 17. The result depends upon 
how much money is paid. 18. Wait till then. 19. He met 
her once a Maying.— Milton. 20. He did his work accord- 
ing 1 to contract. 21. His conduct was inconsistent with 
the character of a man of honor. 22. The river runs be- 
tween the bluff and the valley. 23. Such as press the 
life from out young hearts. — Byron. 24. A supreme jus- 
tice of the United States holds office during life. 25. All 
went save me alone, 

EXERCISE 16. CONJUNCTIONS (107). 

32. Parse the conjunctions (107-111) in the following sentences. 

33. I. He was so weak that he fell. (That — C. s, 
joins that he fell to weak.) 2. Both* the righteous andj- 
the wicked receive God's blessings. 3. Art is long, and 
time is fleeting. 4. Whither I go, ye cannot come. 
5. Christ died that we might live. 6. Thou art older than 
I [ ], 7. He died as he lived. 8. If I am not mis- 
taken 1 , you told me so. 9. He walked both* up and down 
the street. 10. They went out to see and to be seen. 
11. Either May or her brother was there. 12. Aaron p and 
I ran e a race. 13. He is neither honest nor dignified. 
14. The statement is truly 8 but poorly made. 15. Thomas 
as well [ truly J as Robert goes to school. 

*109. t!08. 



16 PRACTICAL ENGLISH* 

EXERCISE 17. INTERJECTIONS (112) AND RE- 
SP0NSIVE8 (116) 

34. Parse the interjections (112-5) and responsives (116-9/. 

35. 1. Did it rain ? Yes. ( Yes — B, a, answers a 
direct question.) 2. Nonsense! [Nonsense — I, m, ex- 
presses decision.) 3. Ha! laugh'st 8 thou? 

4. Alas! how light a cause may move 

Dissension 1 between hearts that love. — Moore. 
(3. No, lie did not go. 6. Alas ! poor . Yorick. 7. Pshaw p ! 

8. Wast thou sick? Nay. 9. O for a lodge in some vast 
wilderness ! 10. Amen. 

EXERCISE 18. MISCELLANEOUS EXAMPLES. 

36. Parse all the words in the following sentences, or such as the 
teacher may designate. 

1. This is the point wherein I offended. 2. When 
Greek meets Greek then comes the tug of war. 3. Can 
you tell the reason why [for which] you are here? 

4. Though you slay me, I will speak my sentiments. 

5. The good do as they like. 6. To acquire knowledge 
is necessary 1 '. 7. They are never alone that are accom- 
panied} by noble thoughts. — Sir Philip Sidney. 8. His re- 
mark was that such service is exceedingly humiliating. 

9. A watch, like faith, is comparatively worthless without 
works. 10. It is often highly criminal to conceal the 
truth. 11. The poorest education that teaches self-control* 
is better than the best that neglects it. — Sterling. 12. He 
returned a friend who came a foe. — Pope. 13. Is the report 
concerning him true? No. 14. We have heard it asked 
who painted Henry Kirke White. It was probably the 
same person who painted William black, Thomas Gray, and 
the other Tom brown. 



ETYMOLOGY. 17 

15. Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind 

exceedingly 1 small; 
Though ivith patience He stands waiting, with exactness 
grinds He all. — Longfellow. 

16. The true university of these days is a collection of books. 
— Carlyle. 17. Responsibility sharpens our faculties. 
18. He painted the red box. 19. He painted tlie box red. 

20. I hold thai Christian? grace abounds 
Where charity is seen. — Alice Cary. 
21. In the second place, after thinking a second, I second 
your motion. 22. When bad men combine, the good must 
associate. — Burke. 23. His income was estimated at be- 
tween one thousand and fifteen hundred dollars. 24. Edu - 
cation is not confined to books alone; the world, with its 
thousand interests and occupations is a great school. 
— Trowbridge. 25. I have no more pleasure in hearing a 
man attempting wit and failing, than in seeing a man trying 
to leap over a ditch and tumbling into it. — Dr. Johnson. 
26. An editor, who has been keeping a record of big beets 
announces at "last that " the beet that beat the beet that 
beat the other beets is now beaten by a beet that beats all 
the beets, whether the original beet, the beet that beat the 
beet, or the beet that beat the beet that beat the beet." 
27. Lives of great men all remind us 
We can make our lives sublime, 
And departing 1 leave behind us 

Footprints on the sands of time. — Longfellow. 
28. I said that that that that that boy parsed, is not that 
that that that girl parsed. 29. Do what 1 may, I cannot 
influence 1 " him. 30. He exchanged his silver watch for a 
lump of silver, with which to silver some metal. 31. I 
want no more. 32. He wanted no more water. 33. They 
will fear him no more. 34 The axiom p , that a whole is 



18 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

greater than its parts, seems so true that its statement 1 
seems at first sight, unnecessary. 35. Round the rocks 
they ran, where the round bay, swerving round gently, 
rounds the rugged shore. 



ETYMOLOGY. 



37. Etymology is that division of language which treats 
of the classification and forms of words. 

38. Parsing is naming the parts of speech, their classes, 
and forms.* 

39. There are eleven classes of words; they are some- 
times called Parts of Speech. 



I. NOUNS. 



40. A Noun (N.) is a word used as a name; as, pencil, 
admiral. (2.) 

Note. — The names of words, letters, figures, signs, etc., are nouns; as, 
To be is a verb, A is a vowel, 5, +• Two or more words used as one name 
form a single noun ; as, Orover Cleveland, Costa Rica. 

1. KIND. 

41. A Proper noun (p.) is one used to represent some particular thing ; 
as, Junius. (2.) 

42. A Common noun (c.) is one used to represent the things of a class 
taken separately; as, colporteur. (2.) 

Note.— A proper noun may represent a class ; it then becomes com 
mon: and a common noun may represent an individual; it' then becomes 
proper; as, Will all the Johns please stand? The Falls are in the Niagara 
river. 

43. A Collective noun (co.) is one used to represent the things of a 
class taken as a body; as The army was disbanded. (2.) 

* The use is also given in parsing in this book, but as that is the chief function of Syntax, 
it might be omitted here. 



ETYMOLOGY. 19 

2. NUMBER. 

44. The Singular number (s.) denotes but one; as, Sicily, (4.) 

45. The Plural number (p ) denotes more than one ; as, brethren. (4.) 
{Study carefully the several ways of forming the plural. (Spelling. 97- 
105,) 

Note. — Some nouns are found only in the plural; as, ashes, moras. 
Some nouns have the plural form the same as the singular; as, wisdom, gold. 

3. GENDER. 

46. The Masculine gender (m.) denotes the male sex ; as, Demosthenes 
(4). 

47. The Feminine gender (f.) denotes the female sex ; as, Harriet 
Hosmer (4). 

48. The Neuter gender (n.) denotes want of sex; as. caboose. (3, 4.) 

49. The Common gender (c.) denotes either the male or the female 
sex; as, parent. (4.) 

Note, — Nouns of one gender are often represented by pronouns of 
another. Thus we use her in speaking of the moon ; it in speaking of a 
child, and he in the common gender. 

4. CASE. 

50. The Nominative (n.) is the form of a noun or pionoun (54) used 
as the subject (Syntax, 101) of a verb; as, we. (6.) 

51. The Possessive case (p.) is the form of a noun or pronoun used to 
modify (Syntax, 114) another noun, or pronoun, or something used as 
such, by denoting something else than that which is modified; as, Mary'i, 
ours. (6.) 

Note — Study carefully the rules for forcing possess! ves of names. 
(Spelling, 106-8.) 

52. The Objective case (o.) is the form of a noun* or pronoun used to 
complete the meaning of a transitive verb (75) or preposition (103) 
(Syntax, 109); as, for him 

5. USE. 

53. For the several uses of nouns, see the Table of Contents. 



II. PRONOUNS. 

54. A Pronoun (P.) is a word used to represent an 
object, or a word (Pronunciation, 128), phrase (Syntax. 
94), or clause (Syntax, 95) ; as, we, thou. (8,) 

♦The objective form of nouns is the same as the nomina ive form. 



20 PBACTICAL ENGLISH. 

Note. — Nouns and pronouns are sometimes called substantives. 

55. The antecedent of a pronoun is the object, or the word, phrase, 
or clause it represents. It may be two or more words representing one 
thing; as, Mary gave Robin some bread and milk and he spilled it. (8.) 

1. KIND. 

56. A Pure pronoun (p.) is one used simply to represent some thing;* 
as, he, our. (8.) 

57. A Substantive pronoun (s.) is one used to represent some thing,* 
and the possessive element (Syntax, 114) modifying it ; as, mine, yours 
(8.) 

5S. A Conjunctive pronoun (c.) is one used to represent some thing and 
join the clause it introduces to the antecedent of the pronoun ; as, The man 
ichom I saw. (8.) 

Note. — The conjunctive pronoun what is always equivalent to that 
which or the thing which. In parsing or analyzing, it should be so sepa- 
rated and each word disposed of according to its use. 

2. NUMBER" (44-5). 

3. GENDER (46-9). 

59. A pronoun must have the same number and gender as its antecedent, 

4. CASES AND FORMS OF PRONOUNS (50-2). 

60. Norn. I, we, he, she, it, they, you, thou, ye, one, who. 

Pos. my, our, his, her, its, their, your thy, yours, one's,f whose. 
Obj. me, us, him, her, it, them, you, thee, ye, one, whom. 

61. Which, what, that, mine, thine, yours, hers, ours, theirs, and the 
compounds with self, selves, ever, and soever have only one form. 

5. USES. 

62. See the Table of Contents. 



III. ADJECTIVES, 

63. An Adjective (A.) is a word used to modify a noun 
or pronoun, by limiting or qualifying its meaning; as, 
colored, luscious. (l^») 

*The thing represented may be an object, or if word, phrase, or clause. 

•K)ne is the only pronoun reqniring the apostrophe and s ('s) in the possessive. 



ETYMOLOGY. 21 

Note. — An adjective may be derived from a noun; as, Asiatic. A noun 
may become an adjective by denoting a quality of another noun; as, a gold 
ring. A title placed before a noun is an adjective; as, Mr. Weller, Gaptaini 
Graham. 

1. KIND. 

64. A Pure adjective (p.) is one that simply modifies a noun or pro- 
noun; as, balmy. (12.) 

65. A Substantive adjective (s.) is one that modifies a noun or pro- 
noun, and is, at the same time, used as a substantive (54, Note); as, The 
tricked are punished. Each has his faults. (12.) 

2. NUMBER. 

66. Some adjectives are, in their nature, either singular (s.) or plural 
(p.); as, this, these, one, many. (16.) 

3. DEGREE. 

67. The Positive degree (p.) is the simplest form; as, cheap. (14.) 
(y&. The Comparative degree (c.) is the form used when two things or 

sets of things are compared; as, cheaper. (14.) Usage often sanctions the 
use of the superlative (69) instead of the comparative. 

69. The Superlative degree (s.) is the form used when three or more 
things or sets of things are compared; as, cheapest. (14.) 

70. Note 1. — Sometimes the different degrees are represented by 
different words; as, good, better, best. 

71. Notr 2. — Most adjectives of more than one syllable, except dis- 
syllables ending in le, u\ or y } are not compared but the same effect is 
produced by using the adverbs (98) more and most or less and least; more 
and less for the comparative, and most and least for the superlative; as, more 
excellent, least excellent. 

4. USE. 

72. See the Table of Contents. 



IV. VERBS, 



73. A Verb (V.) is a word used to express action, 
being, or state; as, precede., sleeps. (18.) 

74. A Verb phrase (Vp.) is two or more words express- 
ing one idea used as a predicate (Syntax, 104) ; as, keep 
on, for continue; burned up, for consumed, ( 18. ) 



22 PRACTICAL ENGLISH, 

1 KIND. 

75. A Transitive verb or verbal (t.) is one that denotes action and 
requires a substantive (54, Note) to complete its meaning; as, reads. (18.) 

76. An Intransitive verb or verbal (i.) is one that denotes action and 
does not require anythiny to complete its meaning; as runs. (18.) 

Note. — Some verbs may be transitive in one sentence and intransitive 
in others; as, He believes (t.) the truth. He believes ii.) in the truth. 

77. A Copulative verb or verbal (e.) is one that denotes being or state 
and requires an attribute (Syntax, 111) to complete its meaning; as, is. (18.) 

Note. — Some verbs may be intransitive in one sentence and copulative 
in another; as, He looks (i.) eagerly at the picture. He looks (c.) sick. 

2. STYLE. 

78. The Ordinary style (o.) is that in most common use; as, see, know. 
(22.) 

79. The Sacred style (s.) is that used in the Bible, in addressing Deity, 
among the Quakers, and sometimes in poetry; as, seesl, knoweth. (22.) 

3. CONJUGATION. 

80. The Regular conjugation (r.) has the past aud complete forms 
ending in ed; as, loved. (22.) 

81. The Irregular conjugation (i.) has the past and complete forms 
ending in something else than ed; as, icent, gone. i22.) See 120-1 for 
list of irregular verbs. 

4. FORM. 

82. The Name form (n.) is the simplest form of the verb. It is the 
form given in dictionaries ; as, prevaricate. (22.) 

83. The Singular form (s.) is used with any subject (Syntax 101) 
(except /, you, or thou) in the singular number. It is made by adding s or 
es to the name form; as, prevaricates, sings. (22.) 

84-. The Past form (p.) is used to express past time. It is made by 
adding ed to the name form in the regular conjugation, >md generally by 
changing the word in the irregular conjugation; as, exterminated, slew (from 
slay)! (22.) 

85. The Complete form (c.) is used with the auxiliary (98) have or 
had to express completed time. It is made by adding ed to the name form 
in the regular conjugation, and generally by changing the word in the 
irregular conjugation; as, expostulated, slain (from slay). (27«) 

86. The Progressive form (pr.) is used in expressing an act or state as 
continuing. It is made by adding ing to the name form. 

5. USE. 

87. See the Table of Contents. 



ETYMOLOGY. 23 

V* VERBALS. 

88. A Verbal (Vb. ) is a word used to assume action, 
being or state. (Notice how it differs from a verb) ; as, 
seeing, to run. (21-2.) 

89. A Verbal-phrase (Vbp.) is two or more words ex- 
pressing one idea used as a verbal; as, using up the ink. 
(21-2.) 

1. KIND (75-7). 

2. CONJUGATION (80-1). 

3. FORM. 

90. An Infinitive (i.) is the name form or the complete form of a verb 
with the word to before it, expressed or understood; as, To read is pleasant. 
(21-2.) 

Note. — The sign to of infinitives following bid (to command), dare (to 
venture), feel, hear, let make, and see, and verbs of similar meaning is 
usually omitted ; as, Bid him [to] go Behold the kite [to] rise. Always 
consider the to as a part of the infinitive phrase 

91. A Participle (p ) is the progressive or the complete form of the 
verb used to assume action, being, or state; as, Beading is pleasant. 
Blackstone, versed in law, wrote the Commentaries. (21-2.) 

4 USE. 

92. See the Table of Contents. 



VI. AUXILIARIES. 

93. An Auxiliary (Au. ) is a word used with a verb or 
verbal to express some peculiar meaning, or to change the 
form of expression; as, I shall go. (24.) 

1. KIND. 

94. A Pure auxiliary (p.) is one that cannot be used for any other 
purpose ; as, shall, may. (24.) 

95. A mixed auxiliary (m.) is one thai may be used by itself as a verb 
or verbal ; as, be, do, and have. (24. * 



24 PBACTICAL ENGLISH. 

2. STYLE (78-9). 
3. FORM 

96. Some auxiliaries have three forms; viz.: the name form (82), 

the singular form (83), and the past form (84), the same as verbs (73). 

(26.) 

4. USE. 

97. See the Table of Contents. For the specific use of each 
auxiliary see Lexicology, 403-11. 



VII. ADVERBS, 



98. An Adverb (Av. ) is a word used to modify any part 
of a speech but a noun or a pronoun; as, The recruits 
fought nobly. (28.) Sometimes an adverb is used to in- 
troduce a clause. It is then independent; as, Indeed, I 
shall go. 

99. An Adverb-phrase (Avp. ) is two or more words 
used to express one idea ; as, He threw the ball at random, 

1. KIND. 

100. A Pure adverb (p.) is one that simply modifies; as, It was easily 
done, (28.) 

101. A Conjunctive adverb (c.) is one that modifies the verb in the 
clause it introduces and joins that clause to the word the clause modifies; 
as, The tree lies where it fell. ( Where modifies fell and joins the clause 
where it fell to lies ) (28.) 

2. DEGREE (28). 

3. USE 

102. See the Table of Contents. 



VIII. PREPOSITIONS. 



103. A Preposition (Pr.) is a word used with a sub- 
stantive to form an adjective phrase (Syntax, 118) or an 



ETYMOLOGY. 25 

adverb phrase (Syntax, 120) ; as, The children went into 
the field. (30.) 

1. KIND. 

104. A Simple preposition (s.) is one consisting of a single word ; as, 
up on. 1 30.) 

105. A Complex preposition (c.) is one consisting of two or more 
words; as, according to, out of, (30.) 

2. USE. 

106. See the Table of Contents. 



IX. CONJUNCTIONS. 

107. A Conjunction (C. ) is a word used to connect ele- 
ments (Syntax, 85) ; as, and, or. 

1. KIND. 

108. A Co-ordinate conjunction (c.) joins elements equal in rank ; as, 
Men and brethren. (32.) 

109. A Correlative conjunction (co.) is one used with a co-ordinate 
conjunction forming a pair to make the connection more emphatic ; as, 
Either you or I was mistaken. (32.) 

110. A Subordinate conjunction (s.) joins the clause it introduces to. 
the element the clause modifies; as, I know that my Redeemer liveth. (32.) 

2. USE. 

111. See the Table of Contents. 



X. INTERJECTIONS. 

112. An Interjection (I.) is a word used simply to ex- 
press emotion; as, oh. (34.) 

1. KIND. 

113. A Pure interjection (p.) is one that cannot be used for £ny,other 
purpose ; as, alas ! (34.) 



26 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

114. A Mixed interjection (m.) is one that may be used as some other 
part of speech ; as, gone! heavens! (34.) 

2. USE. 

115. To express joy, sorrow, fear, anger, awe, etc. See the Table of 
Contents. 



XI. RESPONSIVES. 

116. A Responsive (B. ) is a word used simply to 
answer 'a question; as, no. (34.) 

1. KIND. 

117. The Affirmative responsives (a.) are yes, yea, etc. (34.) 

118. The Negative responsives (n.) are no, nay, etc. (34.) 

2. USE. 

119. To answer direct questions. See the Table of Contents. 

IRREGULAR VERBS (81). 

120. The following list contains most of the irregular verbs. The 
name form (82), is given first, and begins with a capital letter in each case; 
the past form (84) and the complete form (85) are then given except in the 
instances explained by reference marks. The singular forms (83) and the 
progressive form (86) are not given, because they are always formed 
according to fixed principles. 

121. Abide, abode.* Arise, arose, arisen. Awake, f awoke. Be 
(am, is, are), was (were), been. Bear, bore or bare, borne or born. 
Become, became, become. Befall, befell, befallen. Beget, begot, begotten 
or begot. Begin, began, begun. Behold, beheld.* Bend,f bent* 
Bereave,f bereft.* Beseech, besought * Beset.J Bet f:f Bid, bade or 
bid, bidden or bid. Bind, bound * Bite, bit, bitten or bit. Bleed, bled.* 
Blend, f blent.* Blow, blew, blown. Break, broke, broken. Breed, 
bred.* Bring, brought.* Build f built.* Burn,f burnt.* Burst.fJ Buy, 
bought.* CastJ Catch, f caught.* Chide, chid, chidden or chid. 
Choose, chose, chosen. Cleave (to split), clove or cleft, cloven or cleft. 
Cling, clung * Clothe, f clad.* Come, came, come. Cost.:): Creep, 
crept.* Crow, f crew, crowed. Cut % Dare (to venture), f durst. Deal,-) 

* Perfect form the same as the past form. 
f Regular also. 

* Past form and perfect form the same as the name form. 



ETYMOLOGY. 27 

dealt.* Dig.fdug.* Do, did, done. Draw, drew, drawn. Drink, drank, 
drunk. Drive, drove, driven. Dwell,f dwelt.* Eat, ate or eat, eaten. 
Fall, fell, fallen. Feed, fed.* Feel, felt* Fight, fought.* Find, 
found.* Flee, fled.* Fling, flung.* Fly, flew, flown. Forbear, forbore 
or forbare, forborne. Forget, forgot, forgotten or forgot. Forsake, 
forsook, forsaken. Freeze, froze, frozen. Get, got, got or gotten. Gild,f 
gilt.* Gird,f girt.* Give, gave, given. Go, went, gone. Grave, f graved, 
graven. Grind, ground.* Grow, grew, grown. Hang,f hung.* Have, 
had.* Hear, heard.* Heave.f hove, hoven. Hew,f hewed, hewn. Hide, 
hid, hidden or hid. Hit.t Hold, held.* Hurt.}: Keep, kept.* Kneel,f 
knelt.* Knit. ft Know, knew, known. Lade, laded, laden or laded. 
Lay, laid* Lead, led.* Leave, left.* Lend, lent* Let.t Lie, lay, lain. 
Light,f lit.* Lose, lost.* Make, made.* Mean, meant.* Meet, met.* Mow,f 
mowed, mown. Pen (to inclose), f pent.* Pay, paid.* Put4 Quit. f \ Rap,f 
rapt.* Read.J Rend, rent.* Rid.t Ride, rode, ridden. Ring, rung or 
rang, rung. Rise, rose, risen. Rive,f rived, riven. Run, ran, run. 
Saw,f sawed, sawn. Say, said.* See, saw, seen. Seek, sought.* Sell, 
sold.* Send, sent.* Set.t Shake, shook, shaken. Shape, f shaped, 
shapen. Shave, f shaved, shaven. Shear, f sheared, shorn. Shed-t 
Shine, f shone. Shoe, shod.* Shoot, shot.* Show,f showed, shown. 
Shut X Shred, t Shrink, shrunk or shrank,* shrunk or shrunken. Sing, 
sung or sang, sung. Sink, sunk or sank, sunk. Sit, sat * Slay, slew, 
slain. Sleep, slept.* Slide,f slid, slidden or slid. Slink, slunk.* Slit. \\ 
Smell, f smelt* Smite smote, smitten or smit. Sow,f sowed, sown. 
Speak, spoke, spoken. Speed,f sped* Spell, f spelt,* Spend, spent* 
Spill, f spilt* Spin, spun.* Spit,}: spat, spitten. Split.}: Spread.}: 
Spring, sprung or sprang, sprung Stay, staid or stayed.* Stand, stood.* 
Steal, stole, stolen. Stick, stuck.* Sting, stung.* Stink, stunk.* Strew.f 
strewed, strewn. Stride, strode, stridden. Strike, struck, struck or 
stricken. String, strung.* Strive, f strove, striven. Strow,f strowed, 
strown. Swear, swore or sware, sworn. Sweat. ft Swell, f swelled, 
swollen. Swim, swum or swam, swum. Swing, swung.* Take, took, 
taken. Teach, taught.* Tear, tore, torn. Tell, told.* Think, thought.* 
Thrive,f throve, thriven. Throw, threw, thrown. Thrust.}: Tread, trod, 
trodden or trod. Wake,f woke, waked. Wear, wore, worn. Weave, f 
wove, woven. Weep, wept.* Wet.f}: Whet. ft Win, won.* Work,f 
wrought.* Wind,f wound* Wring, f wrung.* Write, wrote or writ, 
written. 



* Per fed form the same as the past form. 

^Regular also. 

tPastform and perfect form the same as the name form. 



PRACTICAL ENGLISH 



Paet V. 



SYNTAX 



BY 

E. R. BOOTH, A. B. 

Principal Technical School, Cincinnati, O. 



It may be fairly said, that the construction and comprehension of an English 
sentence demand and suppose the exercise of higher mental powers than are required 
for the framing or understanding of a proposition in Latin. — Marsh. 

Language and thought are inseparable Words without thoughts are dead sounds; 
thoughts without words are nothing. To think is to speak low; to speak is to think 
aloud. The word is the thought incarnate. — Max Muller. 



CHICAGO, ILL. 
A. FLANAGAN, Published 



Copyrighted, 1889, 

BY 

A. Flanagan, 



CONTENTS 



1. Sentences (S.*), - Definition, 84* 

l 1 . Kind 

l 2 . Declarative (D.), - Definition, 89. Exercises, 1 and 2 

2 2 . Interrogative (I.), - Definition, 90. Exercises, 1 and 2 

3 2 . Imperative (Im.), - Definition, 91. Exercises, 1 and 2 

4 2 . Exclamative (E.), - Definition, 92, Exercises, 1 and 2 

2 1 . Structure. 

I 2 . Simple (S.), - - Definition, 96. Exercises, 3 and 4 

2 2 . Compound (Co.), - Definition, 97. Exercises, 3 and 4 
3 2 . Complex (C), - Definition, 98. Exercises, 3, 4, 63-4 

4 2 , Partial Compound (Pa), Definition, 99. Exercises, 3 and 4 

5 2 . Complex Compound (Cc ), Definition, 100 Exercises, 3 and 4 

2. Elements. 

I 1 . Kind. 

I 2 . First Class (1), or Word (w.), Definition, 93. Exercises, 3 and 4 

2 2 . Second Class (2), or Phrase (p.), Definition, 94. Exercises, 
3 and 4. 

3 2 . Third Class (3), or Clause (a), Definition 95. Exercises, 
3 and 4. 

2 1 . Use. 

P. Principal, - - - Diagrammed, 51 and 53 

l 3 . Subject (S ), Definition, 101-3. Rule, 133. Exercises, 
5, 6, 9, and 10. 

2 3 . Predicate (P.), Definition, 104-5. Rules, 134-9. Exer- 
cises, 7-10. 

2 2 . Subordinate, - - - Diagrammed, 52-4 

l 3 . Objective (a), Definition, 107-8. Rule, 144. Exer 
cises, 11-4. 

2 3 . Objective Subject (os.), Definition, 109-10. Rule, 144. 
Exercises, 11-4' 

3 3 . Attributive (at.), Definition, 111-2. Rules, 143-7. Ex 
ercises, 15-8. 

4 3 . Attributive Object (ato.). Definition, 113. Rules 145-7. 
Exercises, 15-8. 

5 8 . Possessive (p.), Definition, 114-5. Rule, 148. Exer- 
cises, 22-5. 

6 3 . Appositive (ap.), Definition, 116-7. Rule, 149. Exer- 
cises, 26-9. 

7 3 . Adjective (ad.), Definition, 118-9. Rules, 150-1. Exer- 
cises, 30-3. 

8 3 . Adverbial (av.) Definition, 120-1. Rule, 152. Exer- 
cises, 34-7. 

*The signs for the terms are in parentheses; the numbers refer to the paragraphs. 

3 



CONTENTS. 



Definition, 122 
Definition, 123 
Definition, 124. 
Definition, 125. 



o. 



3 2 . Independent, 

l 3 . Vocative (v.), 

2 3 . Exclamative (e.) 

3 3 . Responsive (r.), - 

4 3 . Parenthetic (pa.), 
4 2 . Connective, - 

I 3 . Subordinate (sc.\ Definition, 

2 3 . Co-ordinate (cc ), Definition 

3 1 . Structure 

1«. Simple (s.), 
2 2 . Complex (c), 

3 2 . Compound (co.j, Definition, 180. 
44-7. 

4 2 . Partial Compound (pco.), Definition, 131. 

5 2 . Complex Compound (ceo ), Definition, 132. 

Punctuation. 



Diagrammed, 55 
Exercises, 38-9 
Exercises, 38-9 
Exercises, 40-1 
Exercises, 40-1 
Diagrammed, 56-7 

126. Exercises, 42-3 

127, Exercises, 42-3 



Definition, 128. 
Definition, 129 

Rules, 153 



l 1 , 
2 1 
3 1 



4 l . 
5 1 . 
6 1 . 



Orthoepic, --.--_ 

Orthographic, - 

Syntactic, - - - - 

l 2 . Names of Marks Used, 
2 2 . Uses in the Syntax of, 

l 3 . The Sentence, - - Rules, 157-60. 

2 s . The Subject, - Rule, 161. 

3 3 . The Predicate, - - Rule, 162. 

4 3 . The Object, - Rules, 163-4. 

5 3 . The Attribute, - Rule, 165. 

6 3 . The Appositive, - Rules, 166-8. 

7 3 . The Adjective Element, Rules, 169-70. 

8 s . The Adverbial Element, Rules, 171-3. 

9 3 . The Vocative, - - Rule, 174. 

The Exclamative, - - Rule, 175. 

The Responsive, - Rule, 176. 

The Parenthetic Element, Rule, 177. 

13 3 . The Compound Element Rules, 178-80 

14 3 . The Compound Sentence Rules. 181-4. 

15 3 . Introductory Words, - Rule, 185. 

16 3 . Abrupt Changes, etc., Rules, 186-7. 

17 3 Ellipses ! - - Rule, 188. 

18 3 . Quotations, - RuK 189. 

19 3 . Inserted Words, - Rule, 190. 

20 s . Combined Terms, - - Rule, 191. 

21 3 . Miscellaneous Examples, Rules, 156-191. 

Reference, - 

Signs, _-_..- 

Typographic, - 



10 3 . 
11 s . 

12 3 . 



Exercises, 46-7 

Exercises, 46-7 

4. Exercises, 

Exercises, 46-7 
Exercises, 46-7 

155 

- 155 
- 156-191 

- 156 

Exercises, 68 
Exercises, 69 
Exercises, 69 
Exercises, 70 
Exercises, 70 
Exercises, 71 
Exercises, 72 
Exercises, 73 
Exercises, 74 
Exercises, 74 
Exercises, 75 
Exercises, 75 
Exercises, 76 
Exercises, 77 
Exercises 
Exercises 
Exercises 
Exercises, 
Exercises, 81 
Exercises, 81 
Exercises, 82 
Definition, 192 
Definition, 193 
Definition, 194 



78 
79 
80 
80 



SYNTAX (83.) 

EXERCISE 1. KIS.)S <).• SENTENCES (89-92). 

1. Tell what each of the following combinations of words and marks 
form (84-), and state what kind of a sentence each is. This work may be 
symbolized as in the first and second sentences. By numbering the sen- 
tences in the order given it will not be necessary to write them, unless the 
teacher requires it. Observe carefully the final punctuation marks. 
(155-6-7-8.) 

2. 1. Frank is a good boy. — 8, D.* 2. Is Frank a 
good boy? — 8, I 3. Frank, be a good boy. 4. What a 
good boy Frank is! 5. How wretched must be the drunk- 
ard! 6. Write to me soon. 7. Is e WilliamVf book torn? 
8. I am resolved to improve my leisure moments. 9. What 
a beautiful verbena! 10. Take things always by the smooth 
handle. — Jefferson. 11. Oh, that men should put art enemy 
into their mouths to steal away their brains! — Shakespeare. 

12. Where, oh where, are the visions of morning ? — Holmes. 

13. The whole land must be watered with the stream of 
knowledge. — Mann. 14. Open the doors of the schoolhouse s 
to all the children of the land. — Webster. 15. Who shall 
decide ivhen doctors disagree?— Pope. 

EXERCISE 2. KINDS OF ELEMENTS (93-5). 

3. Rewrite the following sentences and draw one line under the 
words forming the base of second class elements 94), and two lines under 
the words forming the base of third class elements (95). Make the lines 
continuous when the words forming the element come together. Symbolize 
as in 2, giving the structure of the sentence (96-100) also. Thus, A 
man who is diligent in business will certainly prosper. — S, D, C. 

* See the outline of contents lor the meaning of the symbols. 

t Special attention shoal I be given to words marked with letters to the right and a little 
abeve; p calls for the Pronunciation; s, for Spilling; J, for Lexicology; ande, for Etymology. 



8 PRACTICAL ENGLISH, 

4. 1. The best men often experience disappointments'. 

2. Is it not wrong to doubt the promise of a friend? 

3. Fools rush in where e angels fear- to tread. 4. See e with 
what dignity he sits upon his horse. 5. How can we 
succeed if we do not work? 6. Vicissitudes 13 of good and 
evil fill up the life of man. 7. Music hath charms to soothe 
the savage breast — Congreve. 8. That exercise produces 
health is evident. 9. How strange it is that we should 
expect to find happiness 8 without improving our minds! 
10. Heaven first taught letters for some wretch' s e aid. — 
Pope. 11. If you ivonld be pungent be brief. — Soidhey. 
12. Cursed be the social ties that warp us from the living 
truth. — Tennyson. 13. How can we expect the fabric of 
the government 1 to. stand, if vicious p materials are daily 
wrought into its framework ? 14. He that observeth e the 
wind shall not sow, and he that regardeth the clouds shall 
not reap. 

15. The way was long; the wind was cold; 
The minstrel was infirm and old. 

EXEKCISE 3. SUBJECTIVE ELEMENTS (101). 

5. Apply the test (102) for finding the subjects in Exercises 1 and 2. 
Do the same for the following sentences, correct them and give the rule for 
the correction (133) orally. Then write them correctly, and write the 
number of the paragraph containing the rule for the correction over each 
word, or mark changed or put in. 

133 133 

6. 1. Him and me go to school. (He and I go to 
school. — S, D, Pc.) 2. Him being timid, they frightened 1 

133 N 

him. (He being timid, etc.) 3. They look as well as 
us [ ].* 4. You are taller 6 than her. 5. Who is 

it? Me e . 6. Tour defeating 8 us, we were compelled to 

* Put a predicate In in place of the brackets. 



SYNTAX. 7 

surrender. 6. Them are the ones I lost. 8.* I esteem 
you more than them. 9. He is the boy whom p I believe 
sfc>]e e the apples. 10. Them having departed* 3 we returned 
home. 11. She was neither 5 better bred nor wiser 
than you or me. — Thackeray.* 12.* I esteem you more 
than they. 6 

EXERCISE 4. PREDICATIVE ELEMENTS (104). 

7. Apply the test (105) for finding the predicates of the sentences in 
Exercise 3. Correct the following, and give the rule (134-9) and proceed 
as in 5. 

135 

8. 1, There is some self-evident 8 truths. (There are 
some self-evident truths. — S, D, S. ) 2. Our e friends 
expects us to come. 3. Was 6 you disgusted with his con- 
duct? 4. Three-fourths 8 of the boys has gone. 5. Three- 
fourths of the wheat have been sold. 6. Helen's Babies 
deserve to be read e . 7. I as well as John, studies arithmetic. 
8. We, not he, is to blame. 9. What 6 signifies fair words 
without 6 good deeds. 10. A great variety of plants grow 
in Missouri. 11. Bread and e milk are good for children. 
12. Neither joy nor sorrow move him. 13. I done my 
work well. 14. The boys have went to school regularly. 1 
15. There was no data given. 16. A Webster's and a 
Worcester's dictionary 5 was consulted. 17. AVhat have 
became of my books. 18. Ethics 3 with atheism, 1 are im- 
possible. — D Israeli. 19. Why, uncle, 6 thou has many lives 
to live. 21. Concerning some of them little more than the 
names are to be learned from literary history. — Hallam. 
22. We begun our work. 23. He called his servants and 
bid them procure fire-arms. — London Times. 24. Neither 
her maidens nor the priest dare speak to her for half an 

* Sentences 8 and 12 are both correct. Supply " esceem " with a pronoun before the last 
word in one sentence and after the last word in the other, and note the difference in 
meaning. 



8 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

hour. — Chas. Kingsley. 25. I am not certain if either of 
us were there. 

EXERCISE 5. SUBJECT AND PREDICATE (101-4). 

9. Rewrite the following sentences and symbolize as in the 
foregoing exercises. Then symbolize each element learned by placing 8 
its symbol and the symbol for the kind of an element it is over it, 
and write the number of the paragraph? containing the rule (if any) 
that applies to the element, after its symbol.* In symbolizing a phrase 
or clause, place the symbols over the first word of its base or immediately 1 
after the symbols for that word. In all the following exercises, give especial 
attention to the last kind of element learned: if the teacher should think it 
best, all the others may be omitted except when a review is necessary. If 
other sentences are wanted for practice, take those in Punctuation. 
(67-82.) 

Ant. S, 1. P, 1. S, 1. 

It is faith in something and enthusiasm for something 

s, 1. p, 1. 

that makes life worth looking at. — Holmes. — S, D, C. 

10. 1. Doves coo. 2. He obeys. 3. Abraham Lincoln 
died April 15, 1865. 4. The Youth's Companion 6 is a 
good paper. 5. How interesting Whittier's poems are! 
6. A wealthy man has the power of doing great good. 
7 The better part of valor is discretion. — Shakespeare. 
8. Defer not till to-morrow to be wise. 9. How careless 
you are! 10. It rains. 11. Thai you have wronged me 
doth e appear. 12. It is fine weather. 13. Does he not 
deserve punishment rather than pity? 14. Without* knowl- 
edge there can be no progress. — Sumner. 15. The faithful 
dog deserves the bone. 16. 'Tis the mind that makes the 
body rich. — Shakespeare. 17. Men are but little children 
of a larger growth. — Dry den. 18. The hardest} way of 
learning is by easy reading*. — Theodore Parker. 19. Read- 



* Instead of symbolizing^ as here suggested, diagraming (48-63) may be begun, espe- 
cially with the shorter and simpler sentences. 



SYNTAX. 9 

ing maketli a full man ; conversation 1 a ready man, writing 
an exact man. — Bacon. 

20. To find some sure interpreter 1 
My spirit vainly tries; 
I only knoiv that God is love, 
And know that love is wise. 

— Alice Cary. 
21. There is no man that sinneth* not. — Bible. 22. Laugh 
those who can, weep those who may 6 . — Scott. 23. He's true 
to God ivho's e true to man. — Lowell. 24. None bid the brave 
deserves the fair. — Dryden. 25. To be e a gentleman does 
not depend upon the tailor or the toilet — Doane. 

EXERCISE 6. OBJECTIVE ELEMENTS (107). 

11. Apply the tests (108, HO) for finding the objective elements, or 
the objective subjects (109), in the following sentences; give the rule (144) 
and follow the instructions given (5). 

144 

12. 1. Who did you see? (Whom did you see? — 
S, I, S.) 2. Please let Cyrus and I [ j* study to- 
gether 13 . 3. I give to whosoever asks. 4. He loves he 
knows not who. 5. Who did you talk to? 6. Between you 
and I, that is false. 7. Who shall I give it to ? I e . 

8. We are alone, here's" none but thee and I. — Dryden. 

9. He cried "hello." e 

10. Let 6 there 1 be 

No solace left for thou and me.— Shelley. 

EXERCISE 7. OBJECTIVE ELEMENTS (107). 

13. Follow the instructions given (9). 

s, 1. P, 1. o, 1. 

14. 1 Brutus killed Csesar.— S, D, S. 2. Bring mef 
flowers. 3. Whom did you see? 4. William rides a 
bicycle p and studies astronomy. 5. Engineers run loco- 

* 190. 

+ Object of to understood (108, Note). 



10 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

motives*, 6. Susan wanted Henry* to go. 7. I will 
appoint Cornelius [to be] monitor. 8. God called the 
liglit day e and the darkness night. 9. I 

said ? "on the table," not under it. 10. I supposed him 
to be a gentleman. 11. He made the stick f J straight. 

12. They chose 6 her queen. 13. The lightning struck 
him dead e . 14. We saw that he was dying. 15. You 
err in that you think so. 16. Is your influence for good? 
17. I will go between now and then. 18. He showed me 
where he had put it. 19. He demanded that 6 we should 
retire. 20. Celia remained till after the hall 21. Better 
for a man to possess* manners, than wealth, beauty, or 
talent. — Lord Lytton. 22. The savage believed* that to 
every man there is an appointed time to die. — Bancroft. 
23. If we retrench the wages of the schoolmaster, ive must 
raise those 2 of the recruiting sergeanP. — Everett. 24. He 
who 6 wants to do e a great deal of good at once will never 
do anything. — Dr. Johnson. 

25. He that filches from me my good name, 
Robs me of that which noP enriches him, 
And makes me poor indeed.— Shakespeare. 

EXERCISE 8. ATTRIBUTIVE ELEMENTS (111). 

15. Apply the test (112) for finding the attributive element and the 
attributive object (113) in the following sentences ; give the rule (145-6-7), 
then follow the instructions given (5). 

145 

16. 1. Whom do men say that I am? (Who do men 
say that I am?— S, I, C.) 2. Who is* it? Me. 3. I did 
not think of its 6 being him. 4. It wasn't 8 me that did it. 
5. It was ns. 6. I took the boy to be he who I saw. 
7. Sugar tastes sweetly. 8. I do not believe that is her. 
9. I know that man to be he. 10. How beautifully 1 the 
sky looks! 

* Obje^ive subject (109). 



SYNTAX. II 

EXERCISE 9. ATTRIBUTIVE ELEMENTS (111). 

17. Follow the instructions given (9). 

S, 1. P, 1. at, 1. 

18. 1. Swine are packadermata p . — S, D, S. 2. The 
book is yours 6 . 3. The door stands open. 4. These are 
they. 5. She seems a queen. 6. Be good. 7. Does the 
child appear 1 happy? 8. A book is good company. 
— Beecher. 9. The audience remained silent. 10. Knowl- 
edge is power. — Bacon. 11. Do you feel hurt? 12. Pro- 
crastination^ is the thief of time. — Young. 13. How sweet 
the rose smells! 14. He returned a friend who came a 
foe. — Pope. 15. The Lord is risen. 

16. Where ignorance is bliss 
^Tis folly to be wise. — Gray. 
17. Will he go mad? 18. My blood runs cold. 19. Noth- 
ing useless is, or low. — Longfelloio. 20. Foreigners 13 are 
sometimes called aliens 13 . 21. The hand is almost valueless 
at one end of the arm unless* there is a brain at the other 
end. — Mann. 22. The fruit looks ripe. 23. Precious and 
priceless are the blessings which books scatter around our 
daily paths. — Whipple. 24. The house is mine. 
25. Neither a borrower nor a lender be, 

For loan off looses both itself and friend, 
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. 

— Shakespeare. 

EXERCISE 10. SYNTHESIS (88). 

19. Make sentences containing all the following elements; using them 
as indicated. Be sure to spell, capitalize, aud punctuate correctly. Num- 
ber them as numbered here, but make a separate paragraph for each. 
Make the sentences differ from each other as much as possible, and follow 
the rules for composition (Composition, 148-156). 

20. 1. Stay. 2. me. 3. look. 4. became. 5. taste. 
6. shine. 7. happy. 8. continue. 9. round. 10. to 



12 PBACTICAL ENGLISH. 

run. 11. sit. 12. wearv. 13, studying 9 . 14. that he 
should be imprisoned. 15. when the wind blew. 

21. Write sentences according to the following symbols: 
1. S, 1; P, 1; o, 1. 2. S, 1; P, 2; av, 2. 3. S, 2; P, 1; 
at, 1. 4. 8, 3; P, 1; at, 1. 5. S, 2; P, 1; at, 2. 6. S, 1; 
P, 1; at, 3. 7. Ant 8; P, 1; s, 1; p, 2; o, 1. 8. a, 1; 
8, 2; ap, 1; P, 1; ay, 2. 9. ay, 2; P, 1; a, 1; S, 1; a, 2. 
10. ay, 3; S, 1; P, 2; av, 2. 

EXERCISE 11. POSSESSIVE ELEMENTS (114). 

22. Apply the test (115) for finding the possessive elements in the 
following; give the rule (148), then follow the instructions. given (5). 

23. 1. William's and Mary's college is in Virginia p . 

148, N. 1. 

(William and Mary's college, etc.) 2. That book is 
mine and nobody's 6 else.* 3. Webster and Worcester's 13 
dictionaries are standards. 4. Have you any objections 1 to 
him singing? 5. My brother-in-laws' horse was stolen. 
6. The wagon's wheel was broken 6 . 7. My going depends 
on my father giving 6 his consent. 8. Is this a girl or 
a woman's hat? 9. May and John's fathers were not 
relatives. 10. Have you read Paul's the apostle's epistles? 

EXERCISE 12. POSSESSIVE ELEMENTS (114), 

24. Follow the instructions given (9). 

p, i. s,-i. P", i. o,i. 

25. 1. Washington's army retreated to Princeton. — 

S, D, S. 2. To work is my duty. 3. Do it for thy servant 
David's sake. 4. Our lesson is easy. 5. He received 8 the 
Duke of Wellington's sword. 6. The Secretary of the 
Treasury's desire was to pay 6 the bonds. 7. He stopped 8 
at Mr. Hamm the druggist's p store. 8. There is no neces- 
sity of their leaving so soon. 9. They doubted his being" 

* In apposition to nobody (116). 



SYNTAX. 13 

the right man. 10. The sailors' courage failed them when 
the ship's masts gave way. 11. He attended to every body 
else's* business, but his own. 12. His discourse was 
broken off by his man's telling him he had called a coach. 
— Addison. 

EXERCISE 13. APPOSITIVE ELEMENTS (116). 

26. Apply the test (117) for finding the appesitive elements in 
the following sentences; give the rule (149), then follow the instructions 
given (5). 



27. 1. I admire Longfellow, he who wrote Evangeline. 

149 

(I admire Longfellow, him who wrote Evangeline — S, D, C. ) 

2. You think me worthless 1 , I who served you faithfully 6 . 

3. They were talking, him and her. 4. The remark was made 
concerning 1 my friend, he whom I love. 5. He really left 
her, she who 6 had done so much for him. 6. It was my 
brother John, him who 6 was in the army. 7. The teacher 
spake 6 to us, she and 6 I. 

EXERCISE 14. APPOSITIVE ELEMENTS (116). 

28. Follow the instructions given (9). 

P, 1. p. 1. s, 1. ap, 1. 

29. 1. There is his daughter 13 Frances. — S, D, S. 

2. You Frenchmen are livelier than we Americans. 

3. 'Tis s I, Hamlet the Dane. — Shakespeare. 4. The state- 
ment, ''All men are liars," luckily is not true. 5. They 
love eachf other. 5. You speak indistinctly 1 , a habitj 
you should correct. 7. The whole army fled, some" one 
wtfy and some another.' 8. Energy is the steam power, the 
motive principle, of intellectual* capacity. — A. H. Stevens. 
9. Away they went, pell-mell 8 , hurry-skurry, wild buffalo, 

* In apposition to body. 

+ Sometimes a par, is in ;<ppositlon to the whole. Each is in apposition to they, 

% H<ibU is in apposition iti You speak indistinctly. 



14 PEACTICAL ENGLISH. 

wild horse, wild huntsman, with a clang and clatter, and 
whoop p and haloo p , that made the forest ring. — Irving. 
10. I pray the prayer of Plato, old: 

God make me beautiful* within, 
And let thine eyes the good behold 

In every thing save sin.— Whittier*. 

EXERCISE 15. ADJECTIVE ELEMENTS (118). 

30. Apply the test (119) for finding the adjective elements in the 
following sentences; give the rule (150-1), then follow the instructions 
given (5). Notice that some adjectives are not adjective elements. 

31. 1. The train ran fifty mile an hour. (The train 

150 

ran fifty miles an hour. — S, D, S. ) 2. Russia is a larger 
country than any in Europe. 3. That is a five-feet pole. 
4. These sort of apples are common. 5. Gladstone is 
greater* than any English statesman. G. Which of the 
two boys is the largest?* 7. Eve was the loveliest 8 of her 
daughters. 8. My house is forty foot long G . 9. This 
memoranda 8 is correct. 10. The Bible 6 is more valuable 
than any book. . 

EXERCISE 16. ADJECTIVE ELEMENTS (118). 

32. Follow the instructions given (9). 

ad, 1. S, 1. P, 1. at, 1. 

33. 1. All men are mortal. % Lowell is one of the 
best poets that America has produced 15 . 3. The apple on 
the table is larger than this . 4. The foundation was laid 6 
solid. 5. Education is the chief defense of nations. — Burke. 
0. The above sentence is well written. 7. An old she wolf 
found Homulus. 8. He painted his e house red 1 ', 
9. On the grassy bank of the rivulet stood a tall, waving s 
ash, sound to the very top. 10. My new hat cost three 

* An attributive clement (111). 



SYNTAX. 15 

dollars and a half. 11. Leisure^ is time for doing some- 
thing useful. — Franklin. 

12. New occasions teach new duties, 

Time makes ancient good uncouth?; 
They must upward still, and onward, 
Who e ivould keep abreast of truth. 

— Lowell. 

EXERCISE 17. ADVERBIAL ELEMENTS (120). 

34. Apply the test (121) for finding the adverbial elements in the 
following sentences; give the rule (152), then follow the instructions 
given (5). 

152 

35. 1. They passed by quiet. (They passed by quietly. 
— S, D, S. ) 2. They told me very sad how they had been 
wronged. 3. His voice appears weakly. 4. He acted im- 
prudent in that affair. 5. She spoke distinct. 6. The 
soldiers acted braver than the officers 13 . 7. The fire is most 
out. 8. His argument was mighty weak. 9. That sen- 
tence sounds harshly. 10. She made often mention of her 
friends. 

EXERCISE 18. ADVERBIAL ELEMENTS (120). 

36. Follow instructions given (9). 

S, 1. P, 1. av, 1. at, 1. sc, av, 3. s, 1. p, 1. av, 1. 

37. 1. I am very sorry that it is so. 2. The man 
went home.* 3. The sun is down. 4. Westward the course 
of empire takes its way. — Berkeley. 5. Modesty seldom 
resides in a breast that e is not enriched 1 ivith nobler virtues. 
— Goldsmith. 6. The result was far beyond his hopes. 
7. They walked a mile. 8. The river is a mile wide. 
9. He did so because 1 ' it was so easy. 10. He went alif 
around the world. 11. Not 6 a drum was heard, not a funeral 
note. 12. The will of the many and their 6 ' interests may 

* Object of " to " understood (121, Note). f Modifies around. 



16 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 



ie 



ofteD differ 1 . — Burke. 13. Suspicion always haunts 9 tl< 
guilty mind. — Shakespeare. 14. He tried in vain. 15. The 
sign faces [ J both ways. 16. The wise man always 

throws himself on the side of his assailant*. — Emerson. 
17. Among the pitfalls in our tcay 

The best of us walk blindly. — Alice Cary. 
18. I looked in e on him as I came from school. 19. This 
sentence is too difficult for e me to analyze 8 20. This pole 
is two feet longer than that. 

EXERCISE 19. VOCATIVE* (122) AND EXCLAMATIVE 
ELEMENTS (123). 

38. Find the vocative and the exchunative elements in the following 
sentences; then follow the instructions given (9). 

ex, 1. av, 1 at, 1. S. 1. P, 1. 

39. 1. Heavens! how strange that is ! — 8, Ex, S. 2. A 
horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! — Shakespeare. 
3. Friends, Romans 6 , countrymen! lend me your ears. — 
Shakespeare. 

4. Thou too sail on, 0° ship of State! 
Sail on, O Union , strong and great! 

— Longfellow. 
5. Give ear, O ye heavens! G. Nonsense! 7. Whence are 
thv beams, O sun? 8. My son, if sinners 8 entice thee, 
consent thou not. — Bible. '9. Young ladies, put not e your 
trust in money, buP put your money in trust. — Holmes. 
10. His praise, ye winds, that from yon quarters blow, 
Breathe p soft or loud e , and wave your tops, ye pines. 

— Milton. 



EXERCISE 20. RESPONSIVE (124) AND PARENTHETIC 

ELEMENTS (125). 

40. Find the responsive and the parenthetic elements in the following 
sentences; then follow the instructions given (9) 



SYNTAX. 17 

P, 2. S, 1. a, 1. o, 1. r, 1. S, 1. 

41. 1. Has he read the book? — S, I, S. No; he 

P, 2. av, 1. o, 1 

has not [read it J. — S, D, S. 2. Thou too (O heavens!) 
may'st 8 become a political 1 power. 3. The night (it was 
the middle or summer) was fair and calm p . Are these 
those e (let me not call them men) who e deny the existence 
of a God? Yes*. 

5. Yes, suffering child, thou mayst* well be sure 
He who ordained the Sabbath loves the poor. 

— Holmes. 



EXERCISE 21. CONNECTIVES (126-7). 

42. Find the subordinate and the co-ordinate connectives in the follow- 
ing sentences, then follow the instructions given (9). 

S, 1. c, c. S, 1. P, 1. av, l. av,2. a, 1. o, I. 

43. 1. Peter or John went up to the temple. 2. Re- 
pent, lest ye e perish p . 3. He finds them in the woods and 
by the streams 8 . 4. Both* Adolphus p and Henry will go. 
5. I hate him, for he is a Christian. 6. A great nation and 
little minds go ill 6 together. 7. The fact that thieves 8 
should be punished is evident. 8. What remains but that 
the sentence pass? 9. Laura will go but Alice will stay. 
10. He made great efforts; still he failed. 11. No lamb 
was e'er 8 so mild as he. 12. Neither 6 George nor James 
will go. 13. Unless you will stay, I will not go. 14. One 
of the illusions 1 ' is, that the present hour is not the critical 1 , 
the decisive 9 hour. 15. I am pleased because this has 
happened, but I should have been disappointed if it had 
fallen out otherwise 1 ; and I think that even now some of 
my real or supposed friends will be more surprised by the 
arrangement than [they are] satisfied with it. — Welsh's 
Essentials of English. 

* 137, Note. 



18 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

EXERCISE 22. COMPOUND ELEMENTS (130). 

44. Point out the errors in the compound elements in the following 
sentences; give the rule (153-4) and follow the instructions given (5). 

45. 1. He took his hat and leave 6 . (He took his hat 

154 

and left. — 8, D, Pco.) 2. The sun shines upon the moon, 
and the moon refleeteth 6 the sun's rays to the earth. 3. The 
boy hears the noise and hid himself. 4. He said he either 
had e or would go. 5. The lady that taught jou and who 
was so kind to you has left us. I and Henry use the same 
book. 7. A buckwheat cake was in her mouth, a tear was 
in her eye. 8. He speaks distinctly 13 and with accuracy. 

9. Thou art not the trustworthy 1 person I hoped you were. 

10. Do you remember that he gave me, Cyrus, and you an 
apple apiece 6 ? 11. The officer rushes upon him and struck 
him with his sword. 12. He went across the field and 
into 6 the place where the trees grow. 13. The natives 
appeared, armed 6 with rustic weapons and with irresistible 1 
fury. 14. To learn the rules of grammar, and not speaking 
and writing according to them, is little better than not 
learning them at all. 15. He had good reason to believe 
that the delay was not an accident but 8 premeditated 1 , and s 
for supposing that the fort though strong both by art and 8 
naturally, would be forced by the treachery 1 of the governor p 
and 8 the indolent general to capitulate 1 within a week. — 
Abbott 

EXERCISE 23. THE STRUCTURE OF ELEMENTS (128-32),* 

46. Select the simple, the complex, and the compound elements in each 
of the following sentences * A study of the diagrammed sentences (62) 
will make this subject clear. In the fourth diagrammed sentence, will bo 
found the symbols for each element. The third symbol shows the structure 
It does not describe only the element opposite which it is placed, but refers 
to that word together with all it modifies. 

* The author has found the structure of elements of so little value, except in case of 
compound elements which are easily understood, that he does not consider it profitable to 
give the subject much consideration. 



SYNTAX. 19 

47. 1. The woods, the wilds, and the waters respond" 
to savage intelligence. — Bancroft 2. The strength of a 
nation is in the intelligent 1 and well-ordered* homes of its 
people. — Mrs. Sigoumey. 3. Hang around your walls 
pictures which tell stories of mercy, hope, courage, faith, 
and charity. — D. G. Mitchell. 4. In character, in manner, 
in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity. — 
Longfellow 9 . 5. The sorrow for the dead is the only sorrow 
from which we refuse to be divorced — Irving. 6. The 
ocean p , the mountains, the clouds, the heavens, the stars, 
the rising 6 and the setting sun, all s overflow with beauty. 
— W. E. Channing. 

DIAGRAMMING. 

48. The import ance of diagramming is not apt to be overestimated. 
It is to the study of the sentence what drawings or pictures are to the object 
being studied. The following system has been thoroughly tested and found 
satisfactory. The sentence is unchanged; every word and punctuation 
mark is put in the diagram. Read the following rules, then study the 
diagrammed sentences rind refer to the rules in all cases of doubt. The 
numbers after the rules refer to the diagrammed sentences in which the 
rule is illustrated. 

RULES FOR DIAGRAMMING. 

49. Rule 1. Give one line to each part of speech 
(Etymology, 39) ; 1 to 25. 

50. Rule 2. Arrange the words in the exact order 
found in the sentence, and be sure to spell, capitalize, and 
punctuate correctly; 1 to 25. 

51. Rule 3. Put the principal elements in the first 
rank ; * 1 to 25. 

52. Rule 4. Pat subordinate elements one rank to the 
right of the element modified; 2 to 25. 

* The rinks arc Hie relative posit Ion a from right to left. Each occupies about one-fourth 
Of an jmh- 



I PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

53. Rule 5. Put the essential words in a phrase, clause, 
compound element in the same rank and join them with 

straight line, or by a curved line when a word comes 
tween them and in the same rank or a rank to the left; 
4, 5, 7, 8, 15, and 16. 

54. Rule 6. Refer a subordinate element separated 
)m the element to which it belongs by a word to the left 

it, or by having to write it elsewhere, to its proper place 
r a figure before it and in the proper rank under the 
>rd to which it belongs; 5, 12, 14, 17, 20, and 24. 

55. Rule 7. Put independent elements where conven- 
nt, and inclose them in a parenthesis, unless they are 
ready inclosed in parentheses or brackets; 6, 10, 11, 
id 23. 

56. Rule 8. Put co-ordinate connectives where most 
nvenient and underscore with one line; 8, 16, and 25. 

57. Rule 9. Put subordinate connectives having two 
,es where their use other than 1 as a connective requires, 
d underscore; 4, 5, 7, 17, and 20. 

58. Rule 10.. Extend the line connecting two elements 
Lder the last when both of them are modified by the same 
sment; 16. 

59. Rule 11. Put the symbols for the sentence at the 
*ad of the diagram ; 1 to 25. 

60. Rule 12. Put the symbols * for each element 
ijfcher before or after it with a dash between the element 
td the symbols; 1 to 13. 

61. Rule 13. Put in elements not found in the sentence 
it necessary to the complete symbolization, and inclose 
em in brackets; 10, 12, 17, and 25. 

* Instead of the symbols for the syntax, the symbols for the etymology, or both, may be, 
en. Generally, it Is best to put the symbols after the element so as to leave the view of the 
iks of each element clear; but in symbolizing a phrase, a clause, or a compound element 
which one or more of the words is symbolized; it may be better to put them before the 
ment. 



62. 

1. 

S, D, S. 
Snakes — S, 1. 
moult. — P, 1. 
(Rules 1, 2, 3, 11, and 12.) 



3. 

lb, 1, O. 

P, 2./ Will— P, 2. 
I he— S, 1. 
\deny 

the — a, 1. 
charge? — o, 1. 
(Rules 1, 2, 3, 5, 11, and 12.) 



SYNTAX. 
DIAGRAMMED SENTENCES. 



2. 
8, D, S* 
The— a*, 1. 
wild — a, 1. 
horse — S*, 1. 
ran— P* 1. 

away. — av*, 1. 
(Rules 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, and 12 

4. 
S, D, C. 
The— g, 1. 
man — S, 1. 

who — s, 1, and c, si 



a, 3. — 



is— p, 1. 

diligent — at, 1. 
in 
business — o, 



av, 2, s. — 



5. 
8, Ex, C. 
Bow — av, 1. 
the 
hope 

that — c, s. 



will— ) p 2 

succeed. — ) ' 
(Rules 1,2,3,4,5,9,11, and 1! 

6. 
S, Ex, S. 
(Alas!) — ex, 1. 
'T— S, 1. 
is— P, 1. 

true! — at, 1. 
(Rule 7.) 



a, 3. 



better — a, 1. 

news — s, 1. 

would — / 
> p, 2. 
come — ) L ' 

raised — P, 1. 

1 their — p, 1. 

sinking — a, 1. 

spirits! — o, 1. 

(Rules 6f.) 

*Observe that the only symbols capitalized are those relating to the whole sentence, 8 
the subject and predicate of the Sentence. 

+Only the new rules applied are reformed to in this and the following illustrations, and 
many cases the symbols tor- the more familiar elements are omitted. 



22 



PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 



at, 3, s. 



7. 
S, D, C. 

Solomon' s — p, 1, s*. 
prayer — S, 1, c. 
was — P, 1, c. 

that — c, s. 

s, 1, s he — s, 1. 

| might— Auf, p : o, n. 
p, 2, c. I have— Yf, t, o, i, n. 
wisdom. 



P, 1, ceo. 



8. 
S, D, Pco. 

The— a, 1, s*. 
children — S, 1, c. 
came 

with— Pr+, s. ) „ v a 

laugh-o.l.s. [■£* 
o,l,c. and— c, c. ) F " 

shout — 

and 

filled 

the 
halls — Nf,c,n,p,o. 
with 
glee. 

(-^Longfellow.) — pa, 1. 
(Eules 7 and 8) 



9. 

S, D, 8. 

Sweet 
are 

the 
uses — S, 1. 

of 

adversity, 



10. 

S, D, S. 

Not — av, 1, s. 
to know — S, 2. c. 

me — o, 1. 
argues — P, 1, c. 

yourself — os, 1, s. 

[to be] — o, 2, c. 

unknown. — at, 1. s. 
.(Rule 13.) 



*In symbolizing the elements, the third symbol shows the structure (127-132). It is of so 
little Importance that the author has seldom found it profitable to require its representation. 
When the third symbol is used, it must be borne in mind that it does not apply simply to the 
element opposite which it is placed, but to it with all its modifiers All symbols may be 
omitted as the pupils become familiar with diagrammirg. 

tThe symbol for the etymology always begins with a capital. The use of each word is 
shown by the diagram. 



SYNTAX. 



28 





11. 






12. 


S, D, S. 


S, I, s. 


None — A*, s, --, -. 


/Did 




but 


P,2— 


ever — av, 1, 




the 


knight 




brave 


\[do] 


deserve — V*, t, o, r, n.K 135. 


so — av, 1 


the 


foul — a, 1. 


fair. 


a 


( — Dry den. f ) — pa, 1. 


deed? 




(Scott.) 


13. 


14. 


S, D, S. 


8, D, 8. 


Thou — P, p, c, s, n. 


Full— av, 1, S. 


loseth — V, t, s, i, s. 


many 


here — av, 1. 


a 


a 


1 gem — o, 1, c. 


better 




of 


where — o, 1. 




purest 


to find. — av, 2. 




ray 


( — Shakespeare. ) 


serene, 




The 




dark, 




unfathomed 




caves 






of 






ocean 




bear. 








1 (- 


-Gray. ) 



*Thc symbol for the etymology always begins with a capital. The use of each word Is 
shown by the diagram. 

•♦•Words thus used are really parts of a declarative sentence (89), but as they have no 
relation to other words expressed, and as their meaning Is clearly understood, they are 
generally treated as parenthetic independent elements. 



2A 



PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 



15. 
S, D, S. 
This— o, 1. 

to 
me 



m 



dreadful 



secrecy 
/impart 
i they 

did. 

( — Shakespeare. ) 



17. 

S, Im, C. 

[You]— S, 1. 

Speak — P, 1. 

Tthat — a, 1. ) t 
iiJii 1 r what 

which J — os, 1. ) 

you— s, 1. 
know — p, 1. * 
Ho be— o, 2. 

the — a, 1. 
truth. — at, 1. 

19. 
S, D, 8. 
There— Ant 8, 1. 
was 

a 
man — 8, 1. 

a,l. named — Vb, t, o, r, c. 
John. — o, 1. 



16. 
S, D, Co. 

Little 
minds 
are 
tamed 

and 



subdued 



I misfortune; 
but 



great 
minds 
rise 
above 
it. 

( — Irving.) 
(Eules 6 and 10.) 

18. 
8, D, 8. 
It— Ant S, 1. 
is 

wrong 
to tell— S, 2. 
a 
lie. 



I 

hold 



20. 
8, D, 0. 



that 

Christian 
grace 
abounds 

1 Where — av, 1 ; c, s. 



av,3. 



charity 

iS ]p,2- 
seen. ) r ' 

*( — Alice Gary.) 



SYNTAX. 



21. 
S, D, S. 
Attention 
held 

them — o, 1. 
mute. — at, 1. 



The 
saying, 



22. 
S, D, C. 



"Man 
is 



mortal," 
lis 
[understood 



ap, 3, s. 



all. 



P, 2, s.- 



8, 3, s. 



23. 
S, I, C. 

/Can 

it— Ant S, 1. 
\ be 

denied 
that 

Missouri 
is 

a 

great 
state ? 
(No.)— re, 1. 



av, 2 



24 

S, D, S. 
The 
1 congregation — s, 1. 

having Lv 2 
assembled ) 

the 

preacher 

read 

1 [during] 

five — a, 1. 

minutes, — o, 1. 

then 

preached 

a 

sermon 

[during*] 

twenty 

minutes — 

long. — a, 1. 



*Perhapa " to tiie extent of" will convey the Idea here better than 4k during." 



28 



PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 



Lives 
of 



25. 
S, D, Ceo. 



great 
men 
all — a, 1. 
remind 
us 

[that] 



o, 3, s, 



We 

can 
t make 

our — p, 1. 
liyes — os, 1. 
o, 1. — [to be] — Vb, c, i, i. 
sublime, — at, 1. 
And 

a, 1. — departing — Vb, i, r, p. 
we] 

[can] 

leave 

behind ) 
} av, 2. 
us ) ' 

Footprints 

on 

the 

sands 

of 

time. 

( — Longfellow, ) 

EXERCISE 24. CLAUSES (140-1-2-3). 

63, Point oat the errors in the predicates of the clauses in the follow- 
ing complex sentences and follow the instructions given (5). 

143 

64. 1. If I was rich, I would help you. (If I were 
rich, I would help you. — S, D, C.) 2. They ascertained? 
that the Great Pyramid stood on the banks of the Nile. 



SYNTAX, 27 

3. I wish I was where Thomas is. 4. I should say there 
was a strong connection between the Scottish 1 temperament 
and humor. 5. He looks as if he was an honest man. 
6. If he disobeys me, I will punish him. 7. If I should 
think him honest, I would assist him. 8. If I am an 
American, I would not be ashamed of America. 9. If I 
believe his story, I would be sorry for him. 10. The 
fact that 6 the earth revolved on its axis has never been 
disproved. 11. I wish I was able to speak German. 
12. If he go * he will return. 

EXERCISE 25. MISCELLANEOUS SENTENCES. 

65. 1. He was so sick that he could not work. 2. God 
helps them that help themselves. — Franklin. 3. From 
morning to night is called day.f 4. To exert false hopes 
is wrong. 5. He lay where he fell. 6. I love to lose 
myself in other metis* minds. — Lamb. 7. Education is a 
better safeguard 1 of liberty than a standing army. — Everett 
8. We must go whither the Master leads. 9. Experience 
is the best schoolmaster; but the school fees are heavy. — 
Coleridge. 10. My desire is that you may succeed. 
11. There is a tide in the affairs of men 

Which, taken* at the flood, leads on to fortune. 

— Shakespeare. 

12. Knowledge is the wing ivherewith we fly to heaven. 

13. It is impious p to swear. 14. However he may struggle, 
he cannot escape. 15. Conversation enriches the under- 
standing, but solitude is e the school of genius. — Gibbon, 

16. Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly 1 . -. — Jefferson. 

17. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also*. 

18. That honor and fame are the offspring 6 of labor is the 

* Use "-goes'" and explain the difference in meaning, 
t Apply the test for the subject; what "is called day "? 



28 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

eternal law of nature. 19. Charms strike the sight, b 
merit wins the soul. — Pope. 

20. The clouds which* rise with thunder, slake 9 
Our* thirsty souls with rain. — Whittier. 
66. 1. Cursed be I that e did so. 2. To be innocent 
to be not guilty, but to be* virtuous is to overcome our ei 
inclinations 9 . — Penn. 3. An investment in knowledge alwa\ 
pays the best interest. — Franklin. 4. Where'er e we trea 
'tis haunted, holy ground. 5. The question? is, How sha 
the surplus money in the treasury be disposed of? 
6. When vice prevail and impious 9 men bear sivay, 
The part of honor is the private station. 

— Addison. 
7. Make 6 hay while the sun shines. 8. Whither I go, } 
cannot come. 

9. Knoivledge dwells 

In heads replete* with thoughts of other men; 
Wisdom, in minds attentive 1 to their own*. 

— Cowper. 

10. I know not what 6 course others may take; but, as 6 fc 
me, give me liberty, or give me death p . — Patrick Henr\ 

11. He whom I loved is dead. 12. The man of real mer 
is never seen in so favorable l a light as througl 
the medium of adversity. — Hamilton. 

13. This above all, to thine own self be true, 
And it must follow, as the night the day, 
Thou canst not then be fcdse to any man. 

— Shakespeare. 

14. Whatever violates nature cannot be innocent. 15. 

i 

you are honest, you will be respected 8 . 16. They best ca 
bear reproof who* merit praise. 17. We hate some person 
because we do not know them. 18. How easy it is for on 
benevolent being to diffuse pleasure all around him* 



SYNTAX. 29 

ving. 19. The older he grows the more feeble he be- 
nes. 20. Will he do it? is the question. 21. Great 
tions resemble great men in this particular, that their 
zatness is seldom known until they get into trouble. 
Irving. 

PUNCTUATION. 

67. Insert punctuation marks in the sentences in each of the follow- 
exercises according to the rules indicated, and analyze those designated 
the teacher. Each exercise after 26 will contain mistakes in punctuation 
Diving rules previously given. 

EXERCISE 26. SENTENCES (157-160). 

68. 1 Jonson was one of England's most gifted poets 
What is a vocal 3 Forward 4 Wanted 6 , a good 
raster 5 Shame upon you 6 Johonnot's Supple- 
ntary 1 Readers 7 What a comprehensive 1 policy e 
Whither are fled now those dreams of greatness 
Charge, Chester, charge 10 Whatever is, is right 

Why not go fishing 12 How wonderful is man 

Is man wonderful 13 14 Shakespeare's Works 

J How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood 1 

EXERCISE 27. SUBJECTS AND PREDICATES (161-2). 

69. 1. The evil that men do lives after them. 2. Semir- 
is p built Babylon; Dido Carthage; and Romulus Rome. 
He that places himself neither higher nor lower than he 
*ht to do exercises the truest humility. 4. Old men are 
ves to themselves ; young men to others. 5. The effect 
this universal diffusion 1 of gay and splendid^ light was 
iderfuP. 6. How far it is right to face temptation is 
ibtful. 7. Reading* makes a full man; conference a 
dy man. — Bacon. 



80 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

EXERCISE 28. OBJECTIVE (163-4) AND ATTRIBUTIVE 

ELEMENTS (165). 

70. 1. One of the first lessons of a judicious p educa- 
tion is " Learn to think and to discriminate," 2. Patrick 
Henry began a famous oration by saying " It is natural 
to man to indulge in the illusions 1 of hope" 3. The old 
proverb is " All is not gold that glitters." 4. Why he 
committed 3 murder no one e knows! 5. Resolved That a 
committee of five, etc. 



EXERCISE 29. APPOSITIVE ELEMENTS (166-8). 

71. 1. Shakespeare the bard of Avon was born in 1564. 
2. His words were these "I desire to call up the resolu- 
tion," etc. 3. Paul the apostle was formerly the persecutor 1 . 
4. Mr. s Carlisle spoke as follows " The tariff question is 
the issue," etc. 5. There are three noble virtues faith, hope, 
and charity. 6. Milton the writer of " Paradise p Lost e " was 
also a great politician? 7. Socrates the great Athenian 
philosopher was poisoned. 8. The Greeks had three orders 
of architecture the Doric, the Ionic, and the Corinthian. 
9. Johnson puts the case thus " The historian tells what 
is false or what is true." 10. The following persons were 
elected President, John Doe; Vice-President, Richard Eoe. 

EXERCISE 30. ADJECTIVE ELEMENTS (169-70). 

72. 1. The Bible which is the simplest is the pro- 
foundest e of all books. 2. He was a very active man able 
to accomplish much? 3; The man who loves truth will 
tell the truth. 4. Self-denial is a sacrifice v ivhich virtue 
must make. 5. Is it not strange that life has trials and 
temptations which endanger men? 6, John Bunyan an 
illiterate 1 tinker wrote " Pilgrim's Progress" the great 
allegory! 7! Poets, artists, and statesmen 8 who attain 
success are admired, 






SYNTAX. 31 

EXERCISE 31. ADVERBIAL ELEMENTS (171-3). 

73. 1. To govern others w \ mast" govern ourselves. 
2 He used every available form >c assistance that lie might 
succeed. 3. If the soul is immortal 1 its character will 
U3termine e its destiny. 4. He was firmly bound owing to 
his former escape? 5. They came on the third day by 
tlie direction of the peasants to the hermit's cell. 6. Of 
all our senses sight is the most perfect. 7. They by con- 
tinued and well-directed effort will succeed. 

8. Between the dark and the daylight 
When night is beginning* to lower v 
Comes a pause in the day's occupation 
That is known as the children 's hour. 

— Longfellow. 

EXERCISE 32. VOCATIVE (174) AND EXCL AMATIVE 
ELEMENTS (175). 

74. 1. Mr. Speaker I rise to make an explanation. 
k Z. Alas e my doom is sealed. 3. Ladies and Gentlemen 
The subject for discussion, etc. 4. O comrades p show 
yourselves men e ! 5. Oh e is he dead. 6. Indeed so weak! 
7. The play-writers where are they? S. This O King is 
my plea for mercy. 9. Hail holy 1 light offspring of 
heaven first born. 10. My Dear Friend You do not know 
how anxious I am to hear from you, etc. 

EXERCISE 33. RESPONSIVE (176) AND PARENTHETIC 

ELEMENTS (177). 

75. 1. Has she gone? Yes 2. Did he confess. No e 
he did not. 3? We must not however submit. 4. In truth e 
we fared but ill. 

5. To others do the law is not severe 

What to thyself thou ivishest 1 to be done. 
6. They seldom you know become discouraged 1 . 7, The 



, 



32 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

importance of education who doubts its importance now 
is an established 13 fact. 8. No John, I did not see the 
man. 9. The church or schoolhouse" will be rebuilt this 
summer. 10. The doctrine of the immortality 1 of the soul 
was taught explicitly 13 at least as explicitly as could be 
expected of an ancient philosopher. 

EXERCISE 34. COMPOUND ELEMENTS (178-180). 

76. 1. Honor wealth duty safety are the leading 
motives of men. 2. Among 13 the essential virtues are 
veracity justice charity! 3. Industry honesty 1 and temper- 
ance are essential to happiness. 4. Though deep yet clear. 
5. No one can know the joys and the sorrows that rend 
another's heart. 6. I bought some roasted peanuts and 
cherries 8 at market. 7. Truth is fair and, artless simp r 
and sincere uniform and consistent. 8. Macaulay is learned ' 
vivacious 13 and elegant, Sidney Smith, vigorous and witty. 
9. Hope and despondency 1 joy and sorrow pleasure and 
pain diversify life with their sudden contrasts. 10. We 
should have respect for the theories 8 of the philosopher 1 
whose e judgment is clear whose learning is extensive whose 
reasoning is profound. 

EXERCISE ?>5. COMPOUND SENTENCES (181-4). 

77. 1. Ho writes beautifully 1 and she reads plainly. 

2. Songs sooihe v our pains age has pains to soothe, 

3. Burke was a statesman Oowper: a poet. 4. Prosperity 1 
is naturally 1 , though not necessarily s , attached to virtue 
and merit adversity 8 , to folly and vice. 5. I'll answer him 
by law I'll 6 not badge an inch.— Shakespeare. 6. There 
is good for the good there is virtue for the virtuous there 
is victory for the valiant p there is spirituality for the 
spiritual. 7. We love Burns and we pity him.— Carlyle*. 
8. It may cost treasure and it may cost blood but it will 



SYNTAX. OO 

stand, and it will richly compensate for both. 9. The three e 
great enemies to tranquility 1 are vice, superstition^, and 
idleness vice, which poisons and disturbs the mind with 
bad passions superstition which fills it with imaginary 
terrors idleness, which loads it with tediousness p and 
disgust. 

EXERCISE 36 INTRODUCTORY WORDS (185). 

78. 1. Henry made a speech i. e s . he tried to. 2. A 
letter should represent 1 a fixed sound as e a, b. 3? Many 
letters are silent e.g. e. in bade p . (Examples illustrating 
this rule are found on almost every page of this book.) 

EXERCISE 87. ABRUPT CHANGES, ETC. (186-7). 

79. 1. Thou* shalt not live by bread (done*. Bible. 
2. It was a second thought an emendation 1 . 3. Put out 
the light, and then put out the light. 4. Bring me the 
but he suddenly disappeared. 5. He was witty learned 
industrious, plausible 1 everything 8 but honest. 

EXERCISE 38. ELLIPSES (188) AIND QUOTATIONS (189). 

80. 1. Galileo said, nevertheless 1 it does move. 
2. Stand by your braces ! exclaimed the pilot with startling 
quickness. Heave away that lead. 3. Mr. Jn Sh. 4. The 
teacher said, What a lesson the commandment , Thou shalt 
not steal, teaches, 5. I will take that office on myself, 
said the captain ; pass a light into the weather main-chains 1 '. 

EXERCISE 39. INSERTED WORDS (190) AND COMBINED 

TERMS (191). 

81. 1. The wages of sin e is are death. 2. Committee 
Bland, Hurd, Mills. 3. Newton Galileo invented 1 the 
telescoped -i. Kinds of Nouns Proper Common. 



34 PBACTICAL ENGLISH. 

EXERCISE 40. MISCELLANEOUS PUNCTUATION (154-189). 

82. 1. Those who flatter fail. 2. John the evangelist 
wrote Revelation. 3. Let us try to enrich purify 8 ennoble 
our minds. 4. Homer was the greater poet Virgil the 
better artist. 5. Mr. Chairman I rise to ask a question. 

6. Lawrence's last words were Don't 8 give up the ship. 

7. Were I Caesar I would not be a tyrant?. 

8. What do you think 

I'll shave you for nothing 
And give you a drink. 

9. To Greece we are indebted 1 ' for the three principal orders 
of architecture 13 the Doric the Ionic and the Corinthian e . 

10. One of the first lessons of a judicious 1 education is to 
learn to think. 11. I said he was dishonest it is true and 
I am sorry for it. 12. A great philosopher made this 
remark It is possible that some creatures may think in 
half an hour as long as we do a thousand years. 13. You 
the boys say they know. 14. To act right we must think 
right. 15. The door being open I saw into the room. 

16. Fingers I have eight on each hand four eyes two hands 
two arms and legs four ears on each side of my head. 

17. Science tunnels mountains spans continents bridges seas 
and weighs the stars. 18. Science by the help of explosives 
tunnels mountains by the power of steam spans continents 
by the aid of the mariner's? compass bridges seas and by her 
skill in calculation weighs s the stars. 19. If men were all 
virtuous and intelligent there would never be another war. 
20. Punctuated Jokes. — If brevity is the soul of wit, how 
is this ^j ? — Wheeling Journal. It is without a ||. — N. Y. 
Enterprise. Do you expect anybody to " " that? — Phila- 
delphia Sunday Mirror. Those are the worst jokes of the . 
— Washington Post. My * * * you're pointed as af, 
aren't you? — Burlington Enterprise. We -^- the oppor- 






SYNTAX. 35 

t unity to say that these are real ? ? ? you fellows pro- 
pound. — Gold. Well, they offer us a $ous sort of amusement 
at best and — our spirits greatly. — Elevated Railway 
Journal. If you were in this § of country we would grasp 
your 25IF - — Meriden Recorder. An editor is an * his 
reputation with such puns. — Welcome. Much ado about 
0. — Detroit Free Press. 

SYNTAX. 

83. Syntax is that division of language which treats 
of the use of elements in sentences. 

84. A Sentence (S. ) is a word or a combination of 
words and the punctuation mark or marks * used to express 
a complete thought; as, Procrastination is the thief of 
time. (1, 2.) 

&5. An Element of a sentence is any word or com- 
bination of words used to express an idea. (3, 4.) 

86. Punctuation Marks are characters used to help the 
reader to understand the thoughts of the writer. (156.) 

87. Analysis is separating a sentence into its elements, 
naming each and telling its use. 

88. Synthesis is combining elements into a sentence 
according to correct principles. 



1. KINDS OF SENTENCES. 

89. A Declarative sentence (D.) is one used to make a statement; as, 
The laborer rested from Ms toil. (1, 2.) 

Note. — The title of a book, the head in g of a chapter or composition, 
signs of business houses, labels, the date, address and signature in a letter, 
etc., the numbering of sentences, paragraphs, etc., are re illy parts of a 
declarative sentence. 

* As punctuation marks are necessary to the correct construction of a sentence, they 
should be considered in Syntax, It will be observed that punctuation is treated in this work 
on the basis of the use of the elements, — not on the basis of the kinds of punctuation marks. 
(157-194.; 



86 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

90. An Interrogative sentence (I.) is one used to ask a question; as, 
Have yo u stu died yo u r lesson f (1,2.) 

91. An Imperative sentence (Ini.) is one used to make a command or 
an entreaty, or grant a permission ; as, Speak louder. Give us this day our 
daily bread. Go, if you wish. (1, 2.) 

92. An Exclamative sentence (E.) is one used to express a strong 
feeling; as, How cold the wind blows! (1, 2.) 



II. KINDS OF ELEMENTS. 

93. A, First Class element (1),* or Word (w.), is a single word; as, 
Lions are very ferocious. Each Italicized word is a separate element. 
3, 4.) 

94. A Second Class element (2),* or Phrase (p.), is two or more words 
used to express an idea; as, The Rhinoceros is found in Africa. "Is 
found" and 'in Africa" are second class elements. (3, 4.) 

95. A Third Class element (3),* or Clause (a), is one containing a 
subject and a predicate used to express a subordinate thought in a sen- 
tence; as, When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. (3, 4.) 



III. STRUCTURE OF SENTENCES. 

96. A Simple sentence (S.) is one that contains but one thought; as, 

Anarchists are law breakers. (3, 4.) 

97. A Compound sentence (Co.) is one that contains two or more 
Independent thoughts; as, Irene skates, and Julia skills. (3, 4.) 

98. A Complex sentence (C.) is one that contains more than one 
thought. f one of which at least is expressed by a clause (95); as, The man 
who respects law is a good citizen wherever he may be. (3, 4.) 

99. A. Partial Compound sentence (Pco.) is one that contains two or 
more subjects and one predicate, or two or more predicates and one subject; 
as, Florida and Alabama are Gulf states. Hannah plays and sings. (3, 4.) 

100. A Complex Compound sentence (Ceo.) is a compound sentence 
with one or more of its clauses complex; as, He knew that the ice was weak, 
but ventured upon it. (3, 4.) 

* Instead of tuo terms First, Second, and Third Class elements, the more significant 
terms. Word, Phi aye, and Clause may bo used, 

t A thought cannot be stared wftboci suljeci (101) and a predicate (104) expressed or 
understood. The words that * untain a thought generally make sense. 






SYNTAX. 37 

IV. USES OF El-EIVIENTS. 

1. PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS. 

101. The Subjective element, or Subject (S.), is tbe one used to denote 
that of which something is said by the predicate; as, The ambassador sailed 
to Italy. (5, 6, 9.) 

102. Test, The S. is the word, phrase, or clause that answers the 
question found by placing who, which, or what before the predicate; as, 
What sings? The canary sings. (5, 6, 9, 10.) 

103. The S. is often omitted. The real subject is often represented 
by it and there which are called Anticipative Subjects (Ant.S.); as, It pays to 
be honest. There are men who tell ihe truth. 

104. The Predicative element, or Predicate (P.), is the one used to 
denote what is said of the subject; as, Alligators hibernate. (7-10.) 

105. Test. The P. is the word or words that make sense with the 
subject; as, Kangaroos j ump. (7-10.) 

106. The P. is sometimes omitted; as, Reading makes a full man; 
conversation* a ready man. 

2. SUBORDINATE ELEMENTS. 

107. An Objective element, or Object (o.), is the one used to complete 
the meaning of a transitive verb or verbal (Etymology, 75), or a preposi- 
tion (Etymology, 103 '■; as, Herbivora eat plants. Trapping pigeons is 
fine sport. The duet was rendered by the comists. (1 1 --4.) 

108. Test. The o. is the word, phrase, or clause that answers the 
question formed by placing whom, ichich or what after the transitive verb, or 
verbal, or the preposition; as, Herbivora eat what! Plants. Trapping 
what? Pigeons. By wJiomt The cornists. (11-4.) 

Note. — The so-called Indirect Object is really the object of a preposition 
understood; as I told [to] him to stay. 

109. The Objective Subject (os ) is the one used as the subject of an 
infinitive (Etymology. 90); as, Amelia wanted me to go. The infinitive 
contains the leading idea in the object, and should be treated as the object. 
Amelia wanted what? Me to go. (11-4.) 

110. Test. The os. is the element that answers the question found 
by placing whom or what before the infinitive; as, Amelia wanted whom to 
go? Me. (11-4.) 

111. An Attributive element, or Attribute (at), is one used with a 
copulative verb or verbal (Etymology, 77), to complete the statement, and 
to tell something about the subject; as, Raspberries taste sweet. The porpoise 
is a marine animal. (15-8.) 

* Makes, understood. 



38 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

112. Test. The at. is the one that answers the question found by 
placing who, whose, which, or what (sometimes also how) after the copulative 
verb or verbal; as, Raspberries taste how? The porpoise is what? (15-8.) 

113. The Attributive Object (ato.) is the element used as the attribu- 
tive of a verbal having an objective subject (109); as, He thought James 
to be the boy who took the ball. He took her to be me. 

114. A Possessive element, or Possessive (p.), is one used to tell some- 
thing about a substantive (Etymology, 54, Note) or an element used as 
such by denoting a different person or thing; as, The centipede's feet are 
numerous I was told of his running. (22-3.) 

115. Test. The p. is the noun or pronoun that answers the question 
whose or what placed before a substantive or a word used as such, provided 
the answer denotes a different thing from the substantive modified; as, 
Whose feet? Whose running? (22-3.) 

116. An Appositive element, or Appositive (a,p.), is one used to tell 
something about another element by denoting the same person or thing; as, 
The apostle Matthew wrote a life of Christ. Singing, a pleasant exercise, is 
also profitable. That he should warn me, an act of great kindness, was 
appreciated. (26-9.) 

117. Test. Apply the definition for ap. (26-9.) 

118. An Adjective element (ad.) is one used to express some quality 
of a substantive (Etymology, 54, Note) or simply limit its meaning; as, 
An honest man is trustworthy. (30-3.) 

119. Test. An ad. is the answer to the question formed by placing 
what, what kind, which, hoio many, etc., before the substantive; as, What 
man? ' (30-3.) 

120. An Adverbial element (av.) is one used to tell something about 
any part of speech (Etymology, 39) except a noun or pronoun; as, The 
bison runs fast. (34-7.) 

121. Test. The av. is the answer to any question that can be asked 
about anything but a noun or pronoun, unless that answer is an objective 
(107) or an attributive element (111 •); as, The bison runs how f (34-7.) 

Note. — The so called Objective Adverbial is a noun used as the object 
of a preposition understood, forming an adverbial element; as, He stood 
[for or during] an hour. The speech was [during] two hours long. 

3. INDEPENDENT ELEMENTS. 

122. A Vocative element (vo.) is the name or title used in addressing 
any person or thing; as, Samuel, give me your rhetoric. (38-9.) 

123. An Exclamatue element (ex.) is one used to express intense 
emotion; as, Hurrah! Terrible! (38-9.) 

124. A Responsive element (re.) is one used in a reply simply. They 
are yes and no. (40-1.) 



SYNTAX. 39 

125. A ParenlJtetic element (pa.) is one used for explanation, but 
without any connection with any other part of the sentence; as, I love {and 
ivho does not?) the place of my birth. (40-1.) 

4. CONNECTIVE ELEMENTS. 

120. A Subordinate Connective (cs ) is one used to introduce a clause 
and join it to the element which the clause modifies ; as The book which 
was lost was found where it was left. (42-3.) 

127. A Co-ordinate Connective (cc.) is one used to join elements used 
in the same manner so as to make one element; as Obediah and Bar- 
tholomew went fishing; but Matthew staid at home. (42-3 ) 

Note. — A cc. sometimes has a correlative (ceo.). (Etymology, 109.) 



V. STRUCTURE OF ELEMENTS. 

128. A Simple element (s.) is one without [modifiers; as, fires. 
(46 7.) 

129. A Complex element (c.) is one with its modifiers; as, The forest 
fires are destructive. (40-7.) 

130. A Compound element (co.) is one composed of two or more 
elements having the same use; as, Literature and chemistry are iideresting as 
well as practical studies. (44-7.) 

131. A Partial Compound element (pco.) is one compounded in only 
one of its parts; as, I ride to and from school. The children came with 
laugh and shout. (40-7.) 

132. A Complex Compound element (ceo.) is a compound element 
with one or more of its parts complex; as, The man whom I saw and his 
poodle dog were drowned. (40-7.) 



VI, RULES FOR SYNTAX. 

1. SUBJECTIVE ELEMENTS (101). 

133. A noun or a pronoun used as a subject must be in the nomina- 
tive case; as, He rides a bicycle. (5, O.) 

Note. — The subject of a verbal used as an adverb must be in the 
nominative case; as, He departing, I entered. 



40 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

2. PREDICATIVE ELEMENTS (104). 

134. A predicate expressing present time, having a subject in the 
singular number (except you, thou or /), must have the singular form 
(Etymology, 83) of the verb; as, The boa constrictor crawls. (7, 8.) 

Note. — This rule and the following apply also to the past form of the 
verb am, and the auxiliaries have and am; as, Washington was President. 
The criminal has received his reward. He is refused admittance. 

135. A predicate expressing present time, having a subject in the 
plural number, or you or /, must have the name form (Etymology, 82) of 
the verb; as, The zebras run. You meditate, I walk. (7, 8.) 

136. A predicate expressing present time, having two or more subjects 
connected by and, must have the name form (Etymology, 82) of the verb; 
as, Arabella and Josephine criticize their classmates. (7, 8.) 

Note — When the subjects connected by and denote one person or 
thing, or when modified by no, each, every, or a similar adjective, the 
singular form (Etymology, 83) of the verb is used; as, The wheel and 
axle is a valuable machine. Each man, woman, and child was killed. 
(7, 8.) 

137. A predicate expressing present time, having two or more 
subjects connected by or or nor, must have the form required by the subject 
placed next to it (134-5); as The rubies or the sapphire has been lost. 
(7, 8.) 

138. A predicate expressing past time must have the past form 
(Etymology, 84) of the verb; as, The caricaturist drew a picture. (7, 8.) 

139. A predicate expressing completed time must end with the com- 
plete form (Etymology, 85) of the verb ; as, The citadel has been taken. 
(7, 8.) 

3. PREDICATES OF CLAUSES (95). 

140. The predicate of a clause is generally subject to the above rules 
for the predicative element; but a few cases arise which are governed by the 
following special rules: 

141. The predicate of a clause expressing what is always true must 
be expressed by the name or the singular form of the verb; as, Galileo said 
that the earth is round. ((53-4. ) 

142. The predicate of a clause expressing doubt must have the name 
form of the verb; as, I will go, if he stay. (63-4.) 

143. The predicate of a clause implying denial must have the past 
form of the verb; but only the form were is used when the verb is from be; 
as, I would not help him if I thought him dishonest. If I were you I would 
act differently. (63-4.) 



SYNTAX. 41 

4. OBJECTIVE ELEMENTS (107, 109). 

14:4. A noun or a pronoun used as an object or an objective subject 
must be in the objective case ; as, Whom did you call? They wanted John 
and me to go. (11-2.) 

5. ATTRIBUTIVE ELEMENTS (111). 

145. A noun or a pronoun used as an attribute must be in the same 
case as the subject of the verb or verbal with which it is used ; as, It is I. 
Philip thought him to be me. (15-6*) 

146. The attribute of a participle limited by a possessive must be in 
the nominative case ; as, I thought of its being he. (15-6.) 

147. An adjective may be used as an attributive element, but an 
adverb must not be so used; as, The rose smells sweet (not sweetly). 
Canaries sing sweetly (no: sweet). (15-6.) 

6. POSSESSIVE ELEMENTS (114). 

148. A possessive element must be in the possessive case. 

Note 1. — When two or more nouns in the possessive denote unity, the 
sign is used with the last only ; as, Leet and Kitchen's store (one store). 
(22-3.) 

Note 2. — When a noun in the possessive is modified by an appositive, 
the sign of the possessive is sometimes used only with the one nearest the 
noun modified; as, David th e psalmist's kingdom. (22-3.) 

Note 3. — Generally a noun in the neuter gender should be modified by 
a phrase rather than a possessive element: as, the roof of the house; not, the 
house's roof. (22-3.) 

7. APPOSITIVE ELEMENTS (116). 

149. An appositive must be in the same case as the element modified ; 
as, This is Daniel, he whom I saw this morning. (26-7.) 

8. ADJECTIVE ELEMENTS (118) 

150. An adjective denoting number must have the noun it limits in 
the same number; as, Five miles (not mile). (30-1.) 

Note. — An adjective composed of a numeral and a noun is always 
singular; as, A ten foot pole. (30-1.) 

151. Degrees. An adjective denoting different degrees must be in 
the comparative (Etymology. iy&) when two things or sets of things are 
compared, and in the superlative when more than two are compared; ;*s, 
Missouri is large?' than Massachusetts. Texas is the largest state in the 
Union. (30-1.) 

Note. — In comparing one person or thing with others belonging to the 



42 PEACTICAL ENGLISH. 

same class, be careful that one of the things compared does not include the 
other; as, Platinum is less fusible than any [other] metal. If the word 
other were left out, platinum a metal would be compared with metals 
including platinum itself. (30-1.) 

9. ADVERBIAL ELEMENTS (120). 

152. An adjective must not be used as an adverbial element, nor an 
adverb as an adjective element; as, She walks gracefully (not graceful). 
(34-5.) 

10. COMPOUND ELEMENTS (136). 

153. A compound subject composed of words representing a 
speaker, a person spoken to, and a person spoken of, or any two of them, 
should have its parts arranged as follows: 1, the person spoken to; 2, the 
person spoken of; 3, the speaker; as, You, Susan, and / were in the same 
class. (44-5.) 

154. The parts of a compound element and of complex sentences 
must be similar in significance, correspond in style (Etymology, 78 9) 
and form (Etymology, 82-6, 90-1), and be of the same class (93-4-5); 
He went without ceremony or his hat. (Incorrect.) The wind blows and the 
rain falleth [falls]. I went across the field and into where the trees grow 
[into the forest]. (44-5.) 



VII. PUNCTUATION. 

155. Punctuation is the use of characters to assist in 
expressing ideas and thoughts in writing. There are seven 
kinds, namely: 1. Orthoepic (Pronunciation, 136-7), 
2. Orthographic (Spelling, 96), 3. Syntactic (154-189), 
4. Beference (192), 5. Signs (193), and 6. Typographic 
(194-5). 

SYNTACTIC PUNCTUATION. 

156. Syntactic punctuation is the use of marks to show 
the grammatical structure of a written production. The 
marks used are the Period (.), the Interrogation Point (?), 
the Exclamation Point (!), the Colon (:), the Semicolon 



SYNTAX. 43 

(;), the Comma (,), the Parenthesis (( )), the Dash ( — ), 
the Brackets ([]),• the Brace, either single (j)or double 
({ J), Quotation Marks, either single (' ') or double (" "), 
and the Ellipsis (*******). 

RULES FOR PUNCTUATION. 

1. Sentences (84). 

157. Every declarative sentence or the word, words, or the characters 
used as such, must end with a period; as Life is short. Butler's English 
Grammar. (68.) 

158. Every interrogative sentence or part of a sentence requiring a 
separate answer must end with an interrogation mark ; as, What did you 
say? " What is truth f » Pilate asked. (68.) 

Note 1. — The rule applies to the figure, interrogation (Literature, 
(110.) 

Note 2. — The interrogation point is sometimes inserted in parenthesis 
to denote doubt ; as, In ijq4 (?) France became a republic. 

159. Every imperative sentence must end with a period; as, Depart 
from me. (68.) 

Note 1. — If the imperative sentence expresses strong emotion it should 
be followed by an exclamation point ; as, Charge, Chester, charge ! On, 
Stanley, on ! 

Note 2. — When a declarative or imperative sentence ends with an 
abbreviated word requiring a period for the abbreviation, only one period is 
necessary; as, I met Bev. J. H. Brooks, D.B. 

160. Every exclamative sentence must end with an exclamation 
point; as, What a fine picture ! (68.) 

Note. — The rule applies to the figure, exclamation. (Literature, 
111.) 

2. Subjects (101). 

161. The subject, if very long, if a direct quotation, if a clause, or if 
it ends with a verb, must be followed by a comma ; as, The effect of the 
diffusion of knowledge among the people, was wonderful. "J. liou.se divided 
against itself cannot stand," is a wise saying. That the world moves, is ac- 
knowledged. (69.) 

3. Predicates (104). 

162. An omission of the predicate must be represented by a comma; 
as, Cowards die many times; the brave* once. (69.) 

♦The predicate die omitted. 



44 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

4 Objects (lOT). 

163. An objective element, if a direct quotation, must be set off by a 
comma; as, Lawrence said, " Don't give up the ship." (70.) 

Note. — If the quotation is a compound sentence, the parts of which 
are separated by a comma or a semicolon, the colon may be used instead of 
a comma. 

164. An objective clause preceding its governing word, or following 
the words Resolved, Voted, and Ordered, must be set off by commas; as, 
Why he desisted, I know not. Resolved, That* the convention, etc (70.) 

5. Attributive Elements (111). 

165. An attributive element, if a clause or a direct quotation, must 
be preceded by a comma ; as, The question is What must we dof (70.) 

6 Appositive Elements (116) 

166. An appositive element not a! solutely necessary to the sense of 
the sentence, must be set off by commas; as, We will visit our friends, 
them who called on us (comma used). Go ye every man into his city (no 
comma). (71.) 

167. An appositive element consisting of several terms explaining a 
general term, may be preceded by a semicolon or even a colon ; as, A solid 
has three dimensions; length, breadth, and thickness. (71.) 

168. An appositive element consisting of a clause or a direct quota- 
tion, must be preceded by a colon; as, His words were these: " Sink or 
swim," etc. (71.) 

Note. — Sometimes a dash, or a comma and a dash, are used instead of 
a semicolon. 

7. Adjective Elements (118). 

169. An adjective element following its noun and not absolutely 
necessary to the sense of the sentence must be set off by commas; as, 
Sailors, who are generally superstitious, say it is unlucky to embark on 
Friday. The sailor who is not superstitious will embark any day. (72.) 

170. An adjective element following several nouns and modifying all 
of them must be set off by commas; as, They were the painters, poets, and 
statesmen, whom chance has rendered famous. (72.) 

8 Adverbial Elements (120). 

171. An adverbial element introducing a sentence or removed from 
its natural position, unless very short and closely connected, is set off by 
commas ; as, If I were Gmar, I would not be a tyrant. In the evening he 
will return (comma not used). (73.) 



SYNTAX. 45 

172. An adverbial element which assigns a reason or draws an 
inference, is set off by a comma; as, Do not drink whiskey, for it will make 
you a drunkard. (73.) 

173. Clauses modifying the same element are separated by a semi 
colon; as, When my heart shall have ceased to throb; when my life shall have 
passed away; when my body shall have been consigned to the tomb ; then shall 
all these things be remembered in my favor. (73.; 

9. Vocatev.e Elements (122). 

174. A vocative element is generally set off by commas ; but when 
it is a formal salutation at the beginning of a speech or letter, it is followed 
by a colon; as, Ezra, please give me a book. Mr. President: I rise to, etc. 
(74.) 

10. EXCLAMATIVE ELEMENTS (123). 

175. An exclamative element is followed by an exclamation point, 
except where the exclamation is part of an exclamative expression ; it is 
then followed by a comma; as, Alas, how true! ;74.) 

Note. — in addressing a person or thing is not set off by any mark ; 
as, miserable man ! 

11. Responsive Elements (124). 

176. A responsive element is followed by a period when used alone, 
by a semicolon when followed by a sentence answering the same question, 
and by a comma when followed by a vocative element ; as, Did you speak? 
No. Yes; I did. Fes, sir, (75.) 

12. Parenthetec Elements (125). 

177. A parenthetic element is enclosed by the parenthesis, or by 
dashes. Sometimes commas are used for the same purpose, especially 
when or precedes the parenthetic element ; as, The vapor of water (steam) 
upon cooling becomes liquid. The bed, or channel, has changed. (75.) 

Note 1. — If the parenthetic element has a punctuation mark of its own 
after it, that mark should be put in the parenthesis; as, While the Christian 
desires the approbation of his fellow-men (an I why should he not desire it?) 
he disdains to receive their good-will by dishonorable means. 

Note 2 — The following words and phrases are generally parenthetical, 
and should be set off by commas: 

accordingly, in fact, perhaps, 

as it happens, in fine, surely, 

as it were, in reality, then. 

consequently, in short, therefore. 



46 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

finally, in truth, too, 

however, moreover, to be brief, 

indeed, namely, to be sure, 

in a word, no doubt, you know, 

in brief, of course, 

13. Compound Elements (130). 

178. The parts of a compound element are separated by a comma, 
except when only two in number and those two are joined by a coordinate 
connective; as, Eugene, Jared, and Francis begged 3 to go fishing. Mabel or 
Eunice will go with you, (76,) 

179. x\. compound element is followed by a comma if a connective is 
not used between the last two parts; as, A youth, a boy, a mere child, could 
answer the question. (76.) 

Note 1. — If the parts of a compound element are interrogative and 
each requires a separate answer, each part is followed by an interrogation 
point; as, Where is Jam ? Cairo*? the Isle of Wight? (76.) 

Note 2 — Sometimes pairs of elements are treated as single elements ; 
as, Sink or swim live or die, survive or perish, etc. (76.) 

180. Compound elements are separated by a comma when one part 
has a modifier that does not belong to the others ; as, Beautiful parrots, and 
alligators were in the same cage. (How would the omission of the comma 
affect the meaning ?) (76.) 

14. Compound Sentences (97). 

181. The parts of a compound sentence, even when closely related, 
are generally separated by a comma ; as, The days are short in winter, and 
the nights are short in summer. (77.) 

182. The parts of a compound sentence, when slightly related, are 
generally separated by a semicolon, as, The storm has passed; the clouds are 
departing; the sunshine will soon brighten the scene; the laborers resume their 
toil. (77.) 

183. When any of the parts of a compound sentence contain a 
comma, the parts themselves should be separated by a semicolon ; as, The 
path of truth is a plain and safe path ; that of falsehood, a perplexing maze. 

(77.) 

184. When any of the parts of a compound sentence contain a semi- 
colon, the parts themselves are separated by a colon ; as, Every one must, of 
course, think his own opinions right; for, if he thought them wrong, they 
would no longer be his opinions : but there is a wide difference between regard- 
ing ourselves as infallible, and being convinced of the truth of our creed. (17*) 



SYNTAX. 47 

15. Introductory Words. 

185. The expressions as, namely, viz, e. g., i. e., and that is, used to 
introduce examples or explanations arc followed by a comma and generally 
preceded by a semicolon; as, Thero are two numbers; namely, the singular 
and the plural. (78.) 

16. Abrupt Changes, Etc. 

186. When a sentence changes or oerminates abruptly, or when 
there is hesitation or faltering, the dash is used ; as, If thou be he — but O, 
how fallen ! I said that I — . He stands up to you like — like a — why, I don't 
know what he doesn't stand up to you like. (79.) 

187. The name of an author appended to a quotation is preceded by 
a dash ; as, Knowledge is power. — Bacon. (79.) 

17. Ellipses. 

188. An intentional omission is indicated by the ellipsis ; as In the 
days of Joram, * * * * flourished the prophet Elisha. 

18. Quotations, 

189. An author's exact words are inclosed in quotation marks ; as, 
11 Gome quickly ". he said. A quotation within another quotation is inclosed 
by single points; as, Froude said, " We read of ' Merry England '." (80.) 

Note. — Sometimes the inverted commas are put before each line of a 
quotation. 

19. Inserted Words. 

190. An insertion to prevent a mistake or correct an error is inclosed 
in brackets ; as, John told James that he [James] was to get a new slate. 
(81.) 

20. Combined Terms. 



as, 



191. Several terms are combined with one common term by a brace; 

Chas. Sumner, ) 

Henry Wilson, I Committee. 

Robert Toombs, ) ' 



Principal elements, j |gjg k (87>) 



REFERENCE PUNCTUATION. 

192. Reference punctuation is the use of marks to call attention to 
something additional ; they are repeated at the addition which is usually in 
the margin or at the bottom of the page, but sometimes at the end of the 



48 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

chapter or book. The marks u^ed are the Asterisk, or Star (*), the Obelisk 
or Dagger (f), the Double Dagger (J), the Section (§), the Paralleis (|), the 
Paragraph (T[), and letters or figures. For examples, see page 36. 

SIGNS. 

193. Signs are the characters used to point out something particular. 
They are the Index (flGf), the Asterism (***), the Paragraph (If), the 
Section (§), N. B. (noia bene, note well), the Double Inverted Commas (") 
placed under a word to indicate that the same is used again, and Leaders 

( ) to show that distant parts are connected. Most of the characters 

used in Botany, Mathematics, Astronomy, etc., and the letters used to 
abbreviate written work in this book, are merely signs and should not be 
considered abbreviations. A line between numbers may represent words ; 
as, 150-9 means the numbers from 150 to 159 inclusive. 

TYPOGRAPHIC PUNCTUATION. 

194. Typographic punctuation is the use of marks to show correc- 
tions in proof reading. (Composition, 136.) 



PRACTICAL ENGLISH 



Paet VI. 



COMPOSITION 



BY 

E. R, BOOTH, A. B. 

'eincipajl Technical School, Cincinnati, G. 



... In the way of writing, no great thing was ever, or will ever, be done with ease, 
but with difficulty. . . , . Shakespeare, we may fancy, wrote with rapidity, but 

not till he had thought with intensity Neither was Milton one of the 

mob of gentlemen that write with ease; he did not attain Shakespeare's facility, one 
perceives, of even writing fast after long preparation, but struggled while he wrote. 
Goethe also tells us he had nothing sent him in his sleep ; no page of his but he knew 
veil how it came there. — Caelyle. 



CHICAGO, ILL, 
A. FLANAGAN. Publishek 



Copyrighted, 1889, 

BY 

A. Flanagan. 



CONTENTS 



1. Sources of Information, 

l 1 . Observation, 
2 1 . Conversation, 
3 1 . Reading, 
4 1 . Thinking, 

2. Manner of Expressing Thoughts, 



l 1 . 
2 1 , 
3 1 
4 1 . 



5 1 . 
6 1 . 

7 1 . 



Rules, 145. 
Rules, 147. 



8 1 . 
9 1 . 



Conversation, - Definition, 144. 
Speaking, - Definition, 146 

Compositions, Definition, 148. Rules, 149-59. 
Letters, - Definition, 160. Rules, 161-171. 

I 2 . Business Letters, - 

2 2 . Letters of Friendship, - 
For mal Notes, 
Cards of Invitation, 
Business Papers, - 

l 2 . Promissory Notes, 

2 s . Receipts, 

3 2 . Due Bills, 

4 2 . Orders, 

5 J . Checks, -,-•-- 

6 2 . Drafts, 

7 2 . Invoices, - 

8 2 . Accounts, 
Advertisements, 
Solution of Problems, - Rules, 



- I*and2* 
- 3, 4, and 140 

5 and 141 

6 and 142 
7, 8, and 143 

9 and 10 

Exercises, 11-4 

Exercises, 15-6 

Exercises, 17-8 

Exercises, 19-30 

Exercises, 20-5 

Exercises, 26-30 

172. Exercises 31-7 

173. Exercises, 88-42 

174 and 43 

Exercises, 44-5, and 53 

Exercises, 46 and 53 

Exercises, 47 and 53 

Exercises, 48 and 53 

Exercises, 49 and 53 

Exercises, 50 and 53 

Exercises, 51 and 53 

Exercises, 52-3 

175. Exercises, 54-5 

176-181. Exercises, 56-9 



10 1 . Outlining, 
Kinds of Discourse, 
l 1 . Summary, 
2 1 . Reproduction, 
3 1 . Paraphrase, 
4 1 . Narration, - 
5 1 . Description, 
6 1 . Explanation 
7 1 . Argumentation, 
8 1 . Debates, - 



Definition, 182. Rules, 183-7. 



Definition, 188. 

- Definition, 190. 
Definition, 192 

- Definition, 194. 
Definition, 196. 

- Definition, 198. 
Definition, 200. 

Definition, 202-4. 



Rules, 189. 
Rules, 191. 
Rules, 193. 
Rules, 195. 
Rules, 197. 
Rules, 199. 
Rules, 201. 
Rules, 205-7. 



Exercise, 60 
61-2 
Exercises, 63-5 
Exercises, 66-8 
Exercises, 69-71 
Exercises, 72-3 
Exercises, 74-5 
Exercises, 76-7 
Exercises 78-9 
Exercises, 80-1 



*The numbers indicate the paragraph. 



4 CONTENTS. 

9 1 . Utilization, Definition, 208. Rules, 209. Exercises, 82-3 

10 1 . Imitation, - - Definition 210. Rules, 211. Exercises, 84-6 

ll 1 . Complex Composition, Definition, 212. Rules, 213 Exercises, 87-8 

4. Style, - Definition, 214. 89-92 

I 1 . Arrangement of Words. 

I 2 . Natural Order, Definition, 215. Rules, 216-224. Exer- 
cises, 93-4. 
2 2 . Inverted, or Transposed Order, Definition, 225. Exer- 
cises, 93-4 

2 1 . Arrangement of Thoughts. 

I 2 . Climax, — Anti- climax, . Definition, 226. Exercises, 95-6 
2 2 . Periodic— Loose, - Definition, 227. Exercises, 97-8 

3 2 . Balanced, - - Definition, 228. Exercises, 97-8 

3 1 . Clearness, — Obscurity and Ambiguity, Definition, 229. Exer- 
cises, 99-100. 

4 1 . Variety, Definition, 230. Exercises, 101-116. Sameness, Exer 
cises, 117. 

5 1 . Number of Words. 

I 2 . Conciseness, - Definition, 231. Exercises, 118-9 

2 2 . Paucity, - - Definition, 232. Exercise, 120 

3 2 . Tautology, - - - Definition, 233. Exercise, 121 

4 2 . Pleonasm, or Redundancy, Definition, 234. Exercise, 122 
5 2 . Verbosity, or Diffuseness, Definition, 235. Exercises, 123-4 
6 V Amplification, - - Definition, 236. Exercises, 125 6 

6 1 . Elegance, - - - - - Definition, 237 

l 2 . Elegant, - - - - Exercises, 127-130 

2 2 . Inelegant, - Definition, 237-9. Exercises, 130-1 

7 1 . Unity, Definition, 240. Exercise, 132. Rambling, Exercises, 133 

8 1 . Figures, - (See Literature, 103-117) 

5. Marking Errors, -.-... 135-6 



COMPOSITION (137). 

I. SOURCES OF INFORMATION (140-3). 

1. Speak not at all in any wise, until you have somewhat to speak. 

— Carlyle. 

2. It seems to me that life is altogether too precious to waste very much 
on the how e * a thing is clone. The point is the w7iat n is done and not the 
how. When children read to get a point instead of a manner, they will get 
the manner and the point too e . It is far more important that they should 
have the idea than that they should express it. It is far better to express a 
large idea, even badly 1 , than to express a small idea well. — Mary E. Burt. 

1. OBSERVATION (140). 

3. Good observation must be precise and free from 
taint of error. Many persons' observations are vague and 
wanting in fullness of detail and precision 13 . The habit of 
close and accurate observation of things, their features and 
their movements, etc., is one of the rarest of possessions. 

u . To see a number of objects in their 

real order, so as to be able to describe them accurately, is 
a matter of close, painstaking s observation. — Sully. 

4. The following subjects will suggest some of the ways of getting 
information by observation: 1. What I Saw on My Way to School. 
2. What I Heard Some Men Talking About. 3. The Difference in 
Hardness, Strength, etc , between Oak and Pine. 4. Peculiarities of a 
Few Different Kinds of Fruits. 5. The Last Party I Attended. 

*The small letters so placed mean the same as in the preceding parts : p calls for the 
Pronunciation; s, for the Spelling; I, for the Lexicology (derivation and meaning); e, for 
Etymology; and u, for Syntax, or Use. 



6 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

2. CONVERSATION (12-4, 141). 

5. If u you happen to be in company with a merchant** or 
a sailor, a farmer or a mechanic 8 , a milkmaid or a spinster, 
lead them into a discourse of the matters of their own 
peculiar province or profession; for every one knows or 
ought to know his own business best. In this sense, a com- 
mon mechanic is wiser 6 than a philosopher. By this 
means, you may gain some improvement 1 in knowledge 
from every one you meet. — Isaac Wafts. 

3. READING (142). 

6. Books are the friends of the friendless 1 , and a library 
is the home of the homeless. A taste for reading will 
always carry you to converse with men who will instruct 
you by their wisdom and charm you by their wit; who will 
soothe p you when fretted 8 , refresh you when weary, counsel 11 
you when perplexed, and sympathize with you at all times. 
Evil spirits 6 , in the middle ages, were exorcised and driven 
away by a bell, book, and candle; you want but two of these 
agents, the book and the candle. — Hillard. 

4. THINKING (143). 

7. Accustom 1 yourself to thinking. Set yourself to 
understand whatever you see or read. To run through a 
book is not a difficult task, nor is it a very profitable one. 
To understand a few pages only is far better than to read 
the whole, when mere reading is the only object. If the- 
work does not set you to thinking, either you or the author 
must be very deficient 13 . — Isaac Taylor. 

8. The following subjects will suggest some of the many ways of 
getting information by thinking : 1. How I Would Like to Spend My 
Vacation. 2. Advantages of Two Hands Instead of One. 3. Results of a 
Heavy Frost in July. 4. How Can I Help the Unfortunate? 5. No 
Railroads. 



COMPOSITION. ^ 

II. MANNER OF EXPRESSING THOUGHTS. 

9. As a man is known e by his company, so a man's 3 company may be 
known by his manner of expressing himself. — Swift. 

10. After the pupils are able to get information in the different ways 
given, practice upon some of the most suitable subjects for conversation, 
observing the instructions given (145). Freedom of expression in conver- 
sation will soon enable each pupil to speak as instructed (147). Both these 
exercises are very valuable and should not be neglected. After reasonable 
proficiency in conversation and speaking, has been attained, let the pupils 
write upon some of the subjects which they have been considering, and 
observe the instruction for writing compositions (149-159). 

1. CONVERSATION (144-5). 

11. Conversation calls into light what has been lodged 
in all the recesses and secret chambers of the soul. By 
occasional hints and incidents, it brings out useful notions 
into remembrance; it unfolds and displays the hidden 
treasure of knowledge, with which reading, observation, and 
study have before furnished the mind. By natural dis- 
course the soul is awakened and allured to bring forth its 
hoards of knowledge, and it learns how to render them most 
useful to mankind. A man of vast reading, without conver- 
sation, is like a miser, who lives only for himself. — Kidd. 

EXERCISE 1. CONVERSATION (144-5). 

12. The most common purpose of conversation is present enjoyment; 
but the gaining of knowledge should not be neglected. The occasion and 
the character and learning of the participants will generally determine its 
character. A conversation is generally Avritten in the form of a dialogue. 
Observe the manner of placing the names of the speakers, the punctuation, 
paragraphing, etc., in 13. Engage in a conversation on some such sub- 
jects as those given in 14 and reproduce. 

FROM SHAKESPEARE'S MERCHANT OF VENICE. ACT I. SCENE I. 

13. iSalarino. Good morrow, my good lords. 

Bassanio Good signiors both, when shall we laugh ? say, when? 
You grow exceeding strange: must it be so? 
Salarino. We'll 8 make our leisureP to attend on yours. 



8 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

Lorenzo*. My Lord Bassanio, since you've found Antonio, 

We two will leave you; but at dinner-time, 

I pray you, have in mind where we must meet. 

Bassanio. I will not fail you. 

Gratiano. You look not well, Signior Antonio; 

You have too much respect upon the world : 

They lose it that e do buy it with much care. 

Believe me, you are marvelously 1 chang'd. 

Antonio. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano; 

A stage, where every man must play a part, 

And mine a sad one e . 

14. 1. Recent Changes in this City.* 2. A Sermon (Speech or 
Lecture) Recently Heard. 3. Our Last Party. 4. Base-Ball.* 5. The 
Study of History.* 6. Improvements in Machinery. 7. Our Coming 
Ball.* 8. The Fair. 9. Dreams. 10. The Last Book I Read. 

2. SPEAKING (140-7). 

15. The greatest excellence to which the student, am- 
bitious of oratorical fame, may aspire, is comprised in the 
ability to speak fluently, logically, and effectively, upon any 
subject, at any time, without previous preparation. This 
accomplishment may be termed " thinking on one's feet." 
It is not the result of any spontaneous development. It 
comes from study, practice, — work. — I. H. Brown. 

EXERCISE 2. SPEAKING (146-7). 

16. Let the pupil stand facing the class or school, and tell what he 
can upon some subject. News items or the subjects studied by the class 
are generally the best. The written speech is the same as a composition, — 
indeed, it is a composition. The following are suitable subjects for speak- 
ing: 1. What Congress Did Monday. f 2. The Election. 3. An Acci- 
dent. 4. The Storm . .f 5. Work Being Done at i .f 

Many subjects of local interest will be readily thought of by both teacher 
and pupils. 

3. COMPOSITIONS (148-159). 

17. Depend upon it, it is with our thoughts as with our persons, 
their intrinsic value is mostly undervalued, unless outwardly expressed in 
an attractive garb. — Daniel Webster. 

*Any other similar subject will do just as well. 

tSelect any desired date, and fill the blank spaces with any desired place. 



COMPOSITION, 9 

EXERCISE 3. COMPOSITIONS (148-159). 

18. The more familiar the pupils are with the subject upon which 
they write, the better for them, as they can give more attention to the man- 
ner of their writing. Read the rules ^149-159) carefully and copy 11, 
85, and other selections, till you can copy them rapidly in script exactly as 
printed; then write a composition upon one or more of the following 
subjects, fold, and endorse. Read the rules again and see in what respects 
you have failed to follow out the instructions. Study also the examples 
under Kinds of Discourse (61-88). Some of them are by pupils. They 
are not perfect, but they are all faithful efforts to follow instructions, with 
reasonable success. Others are by standard authors, and serve not only as 
examples, but also as choice literary selections. The following subjects are 

merely suggestive: 1. My Last Holiday. 2. My Visit at . 

3. The People I Met at . 4. What I Read in . 5. The 

President of the United States. 6. My Native State. 7. Our School 
House. 8. A Hive of Bees 9. Bread Making. 10. Mining. 

4. LETTERS (160-171). 

19. Be as careful that neatness, grammar, and sense prevail, when 
you write to a blacksmith about shoeing a horse as when you write on the 
most important subjects.— Cobbett. 

EXERCISE 4. BUSINESS LETTERS. 

20. The following are correct forms and illustrate the rules (161-9). 
Copy, with pen and ink, as many of them as your teacher may advise. Of 
course the reference marks are not a part of the letter, but refer to the 
principle illustrated by the part of the letter to which they are attached. 



10 PRACTICAL ENGLISH, 

21. *St. Louis, Mo., Jan.f 3, 1889. 

-^Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 
4: Park St., 

Boston. 

^Gentlemen: 

^Inclosed find a postal note 
for One Dollar ($1 T VV)> f or which please send me by mail 
one copy of Hawthorne *s Tangleivood Tales. 

** Yours very truly, 

ff James Player, 

700 Chestnut St., 

St. Louis, 

Mo. 



22. Atlanta, Oct., 

Mar. 5, 1888. 
Mr. Geo. Atwater, 

1348 Park St. 

Dear Sir: u 

In answer to your advertisement 
in this morning' 's Constitution, I will say u that I have had 
tivo years' experience as a clerk in the dry goods store of Mr. 
Wm. Thomas, to idiom I most respectfully refer you for 
information as to my work and reliability. I also inclose a 
recommendation 1 from Miss Estelle Judkins, my former 
teacher" 1 . 

I am fifteen years old, strong, and willing to work. 

Most respectfidly, 

James Watkins, 

56 Peachtree St 

*161. fl62. J163. §164. 1T165. **166. +tl67» 



COMPOSITION. 11 

23. Kansas City, Mo., 

Feb. 10, 1885. 
To Whom it may Concern : 

The bearer, Mr. Henry T. Johnson 11 , 
is ivell known to me. He is a young man of industrious* 
habits, sound judgment, and good moral character; and I 
cheerfully 1 recommend him to any one desiring* to employ a 
clerk or a confidential business? agent. 

James M. Greenwood, 

Supt. Public Schools, 

Kansas City," 1 Mo. 



24. Washington, D. C, 

June 5,. 1888. 
Hon. Roger Q. Mills, Chairman* Ways and Means 
Committee", House of Representatives, 
Washington, D. C. 

Dear Sir: 



Very respectfully, 

Samuel J. Randall. 



25. 1. Write a letter to a book dealer or publisher, inclosing money 
for a certain book. 2. Write a letter to some, merchant asking for a posi- 
tion as clerk. 3. Answer the following advertisement: " Wanted— Young 
man to do bookkeeping and general office work ; state experience, 
references, and salary expected. Address E 52, New York Herald." 
4. Write a letter recommending a friend as a good farm hand.* 5. Write 
a letter to your Representative 3 in Congress asking for a copy of the 
Congressional Globef containing his speech on Appropriations for Public 
Buildings. 

*Any other occupation will do just as well. 

+ .Vny other public document or subject will do. 



12 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

EXERCISE 5. LETTERS OF FRIENDSHIP. 

26. Imitation in writing the body of a letter is undesirable 1 even if 
possible When in a mood for writing, it is not really necessary to have 
something important to write about, the occasion will supply the thoughts. 

27. In letter writing be entertaining, be amusing, be brief, and if you 
can, be funny 8 . A funny letter is always welcome. But don't be funny if 
you can't. Don't try to be funny. Unless you are morally certain that 
your fun is funny fun, save it for a sermon. Nothing in all this world is ^o 
flat, insipid, tasteless, vapid, utterly savorless, as flat fun. It is heavier e 
than stupidity, staler than dullness", blanker than vacancy. Now and then 
I receive a letter which some writer— who is as devoid of humor as a cow is 
of feathers — has tried to make funny for my entertainment, and as I 
dismally p wade through the dreary lines, my heart is painfully disap 
pointed, because I think:? ''What an excellent, sensible letter has this 
good-hearted fellow spoiled, because bethinks I am an idiot; doing nothing 
but grin and giggle all the day." He could write a ^ood letter, too, did he 
write like his own natural self. — Burdette. 

28. Gloucester Place, London, 

July 15th, 1833. 
My Darling 1 May, 

How do you do, and how do you like the 
sea? n I remember that when I saw the sea, it used some- 
times to be very fussy* and fidgety. And what a rattle the 
waves made ivith the stones when they zoere rough ! 

Have you been bathing? yet in the sea, and were you 
afraid ? I ivas the first time. Oh u , how I kicked and 
screamed ! or at least, meant to scream; bid the sea, ships 
and all 11 , began to run into my mouth, so I shut up. 

Well, hoiv happy you must be 11 ! Childhood 1 is such a 
joyous 1 , merry e time. I often 'wish I was 11 a child again. 

Please give my love to your mamma 1 ', and remember 
me as your affectionate friend, 

Thomas Hood. 

29. You can probably find materials at any time, by turning your 
thoughts to your habitation, studies, doings, health, companions, or 

. circumstances; the peculiar appearance^ and the remarkable occurrences of 



COMPOSITION. 13 

the neighborhood ; any remarkable state of the weather, as a storm or 
drought; your troubles with yourself , your teachers, or your companions; 
your plays, amusements, and excursions ; holidays 1 , binhdays, times for 
particular kinds of labor, as plowing or harvesting, and the various changes 
of the seasons; the news of the day; and any serious loss or fortunate 
acquisition, especially remarkable accidents. Observations on animals, 
plants, the sky, the earth, the seasons, the habitations 1 and achievements of 
people, their occupations and conduct, aims and disappointments, dispo- 
sitions and artifices, the wisdom and the folly, the right and the wrong, in 
actions and conduct, and the good and the bad i i things, will furnish 
inexhaustible supplies of thought. — Kerl. 

30. 1. Write a letter to your cousin in the country (or city). 2 To 
your sister (or brother) away from home at school. 3. To your mother, 
you being away from home at school. 4. To a child on its birthday. 
5. To an intimate friend. 

EXERCISE 6. FORMAL NOTES (172). 

31. Notes are briefer 3 than letters and generally more formal. The 
following are correct forms; copy them e , then follow the instruction in 42. 

INVITATIONS. 

32. Mr. James P. Price u presents compliments to Miss 
Elsie Stewart, and requests the pleasure of her company to 
the concert 11 , Friday evening, Jan. 2. 

242 Prairie Ave., Dec. 8 27, 1887. 

33. Mr. and Mrs. Bond request 11 the pleasure of Mr. 
and Mrs. Kraft's company at dinner on Monday evening, 
Aug. 27, at six o'clock. 

2847 Eussell Ave., Aug. 11, 1890. 

ACCEPTATIONS. 

34. Miss Elsie Stewart presents compliments to Mr. 
James P. Price, and is pleased to accept his company to the 
concert, Friday evening. 

24 Nelson St s ., Dec. 27, 1887. 

35. Mr. and Mrs. Kraft accept with pleasure Mr. and 
Mrs. Bond's invitation for Monday evening, Aug. 27. 

3005 Park St., Aug. 12, 1890. 



14 PEACTICAL ENGLISH. 

DECLINATIONS. 

36. Miss Elsie Stewart presents 6 compliments to Mr. 
James P. Price, and regrets that a previous engagement 1 
prevents her 11 accepting his company to the concert, Friday 
evening. 

24 Nelson St., Dec. 27, 1887. 

31. Mr. and Mrs. Kraft greatly regret that a previous 
engagement prevents them 6 from accepting p Mr and Mrs. 
Bond's kind invitation for Monday evening, Aug. 27. 

3957 Pine St., Aug. 13, 1890. 

EXERCISE 7. PRINTED CARDS OF INVITATION (173). 

38. Mrs. James McHenry 11 , 

At Home, 

Thursday Evening, Dec. 20, 1888, 

at eight o'clock 8 . 

Park Avenue, near Pine. 

30. Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Jones, 

invite you to meet their 6 niece, 

Miss Lillian Russell, 

on Friday Evening, at six o'clock. 

2841 Lucas Ave u . 

40. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Dixon, 

invite you to e the 

Marriage of their Daughter 

Belle", 

to 

John L. Lear, 

Tuesday Evening, September Sixth, 

at eight o'clock. 

Trinity Church, Boston, Mass. 

E. 8. V. P. 



COMPOSITION. 15 

41. When an invitation can not be accepted, regrets should be sent ; 
and when the letters R. S. V. P. {Re'pondez, SHI Vous Plait, — Answer, if you 
please) appear, an answer should be sent promptly. 

42. Write formal notes as follows : 1. From a gentleman to a lady 
asking her company to a lecture, and the answer (32, 34, 36). 2. An 
invitation to a dinner, and the answer (33, 35, 37). 3. An invitation to 
a wedding, and the declination (40, 36 or 37). 4. An invitation to 
meet a friend's friend or relative, and the answer (39, 35 or 37). 
5. Write a wedding card in the best style you can (40). 

EXERCISE 8. BUSINESS PAPERS (174). 

43. Most business papers are printed in blank form, and are filled up 
as required. The pupils should get copies of these forms when practicable, 
as they give a better idea of business papers than can be given in any book. 
They are usually about seven or eight inches long and three or four wide. 
The following show correct forms. Copy them carefully, then draw up 
the papers indicated in 53. 

44. PROMISSORY NOTES. 

$2000 T °oV Indianapolis p , Ind., Feb. 11, 1890. 

Sixty days after date, I promise to pay J. A. Patter- 
son, or order, Two Thousand Dollars, without defalcation, 

value 11 received. 

William Hyde. 
45. 

$600.50. Buffalo, N. Y., Jan. 10th, 1890. 

Nine months after date, for u value received, I promise 
to pay to the order of S. W. Warren, Six Hundred 1 ^- Dol- 
lars", with interest at 7$ u . 

P. S. Lanham. 

46. A RECEIPT. 

Austin, Texas, Nov. 15, 1875. 
Keceived of Henry Hoyt, Fifteen and T 2 ¥ 5 T Dollars, in 
full of accounts to date. 
$15 T 2 ^-. Joseph Kennedy. 

Note. — Instead of the words " in full of accounts." 1 ' use " on account," 
if part payment is made; " in full of all demands," if all claims are u paid. 



16 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

47. A DUE BILL. 

$28 T W Carthage, O., Sept. 9, 1878. 

Due u Wm, S. Sneed, or order u , Twenty-eight and ^^ 
Dollars in Merchandise 8 from my store. 

James Finney. 

48. AN ORDER 

610 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, 
Nov. 10, 1887. 
Thomas Jenkins, 

Treasurer 11 Mutual Fire Insurance Co., 
Pay to John Reed, or order u , Sixty-five 8 Dollars, in full 
for Salary to this date. 
$65^- George White, Sec. M. F. I. Co. s 

49. A CHECK. 

Jamestown, Va., May 15, 1880. 
Farmer's National Bank of Jamestown, 

Pay Warner & Moore, or order, Two Hundred and Fifty 
Dollars. 
$250Tin). L - Crecius. 

50. A DRAFT. 

$725^. Albany, N. Y., May 2, 1886. 

At u ten days' s sight, pay to E. D. Davis, or order, at the 
Davenport National Bank, Seven Hundred 8 Twenty-five 
and T 2 ¥ 5 ¥ Dollars, value received 6 , and charge to the account 
of W. M. House. u 

To H. A. Dwyer, 

Davenport, Iowa. 



COMPOSITION, 



17 



51. AN INVOICE. 

St. Louis, Mo., 
Oct. 1, 1887. 
Mrs. C. A. Houser, 

Bought of Green & Myer u , Grocers. 



Sept. 8. 


4 lbs. s Loaf Sugar, 


@.08 


$0 


32 


(.'. U 


3 " Coffee", 


@.15 




45 


" 15. 


4 " Tea, 


@.80 


3 


20 


it a 


2 gals. N. 0. SirupP, 


@.50 


1 


00 


" 28. 


1 bbl. Potatoes 8 , 




3 


25 


n « 


2 doz. Eggs, 


@.30 


$8 


60 

"82 



52, 



AN ACCOUNT. 



New Orleans, La., 

April 1, 1884. 
Mr. S. H. Jacobs, 

To James Lucas, Dr. n 



Mar. 4. 
" 19. 

" 25. 


To 6 bushels Wheat, @ $1.50, 
" 4 cwts. Cut Nails, @ $5, 
" 16 lbs. White Lead, @ 20 cts., 
" 18 lbs. Putty, @ 10 cts., 


$ 9 

20 

3 

1 


00 
00 
20 

80 


" 27. 


By Cash, 


334 
10 


00 
00 






$24 


00 



Eeceived u Payment by note at 60 days, 

James Lucas. 



53. Write the following : 1. A promissory 1 note (44, 45). 2. A 
receipt for money (46). 3. A dueP bill (47). 4 An order (48). 
~ A check on the nearest bank (49). 6. A draft on a business man in 
your county seat (50). 7. An invoice of goods bought of a dry goods 
merchant (51). 8. An account with a grocer (52). 



18 



PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 



EXERCISE 9. ADVERTISEMENTS (175). 

54. Advertisements are often models of condensation. Sometimes 
they are so arranged as to be very attractive. The following taken from 
papers are samples of small advertisements : 



WANTED"— sit. by girl to do housework 
and assist in washing and ironing 
Call 1504 Belmont st. 

WANTED— A good duck dog, either setter 
or spaniel; give description and price. 
Add. M 53, Globe-Democrat. 

WANTED— To Exchange — One 7-octave 
piano, in first-class order, for sound 
young horse; must be good traveler. Apply 
818 Market st. 

WANTED — A situation by a young man as 
collector; can read and write German 
and can furnish a good bond ; can give 
best of references. Address N 56, Republi- 
can. 



FOR SALE— Drugstore; old stanuio heart 
of city, doing a first-class business; 
this is one of the most desirable corner stores 
in the city; price $4500; only e pan ies mean- 
ing business will be given particulars. 

WARDLOW & CO., 709 Pine st. 

WANTED — A thorough business man as a 
partner, with a cash capital of $10,000 
to employ in a profitable business; highest 
references given and required. Add. M 55, 
Leader. 

WANTED — Agents for two new specialtU s 
for Texas and Illinois; $30 to $75 per 
month 10 a good man; the largest firm of the 
kind in the world. P. F. Collier, 210 and 212 
N. Third st. 



55. 1. Write one or more advertisements, as the teacher may direct, 
according to some of the above models. 2. A good exercise is to write 
and arrange an advertisement as you would want it to appear in print. 
(See any newspaper or magazine for a sample.) 



EXERCISE 10. SOLUTION OF PROBLEMS (176-181). 

56. There are few more fruitful subjects for exercises in composition 
than the daily lessons in mathematics. Exact results are required in such 
studies, and the bes r way to secure these results is to require an exact 
expression of every operation. Of course, much of the work in familiar 
operations may be omitted ; but the pupils should have enough practice, 
such as given below, to enable them to do it with ease when required. 

57. Example. — What are the prime factors of 2772? 
2)2772 



2) 1386 

3 )693 

3)231 

7)77 

11 



Since the given number is even, divide il by 2, 
the least prime factor, and the result also by 2, 
which gives an odd number for a quotient 13 . Next 
divide by the prime factors 3, 3, and 7, successively 1 , 
obtaining for the last quotient 11, which u , not being 
divisible, is a prime factor of the given number. Hence 
the divisors 2, 2, 3, 3, 7, and the last quotient 11, are all 
the prime factors, or divisors, of 2772. They may u be 
written 2\ 3 2 , 7, 11, 



COMPOSITION. 19 

58. Example.— Find the interest of $234.27 for 2 yr. 
7 mo. 12 da. at 6#. 

$234.27 Since the interest for 1 

$14.0562 Int. for 1 yr. y ear is H of the principal 1 , 

8 I find .06 of $234.27 which 

$28.1124 Int. for 2 yr. . #i < n-eo a 

' J is $14.0ob2 ; and since 

12)$14.0562 $14.0562 is the interest for 

$1.17i34nt. for l mo. 1 year, the interest for 2 

|-&6676 T Int. for 7 mo. 12 da. 7 ears is twice that sum > 

88.1124 which is $28.1124. The in- 

$36.7800 Int. for 2 yr. 7 mo. 12 da. terest for ± mQuth ^ Qne _ 

twelfth of the interest for one year, or $1.1713; and the 
interest for 7 mo. and 12 da., or 7f mo., is 7| times §1.1713, 
or $8.6676. This added 3 to the interest for 2 years, gives 
$36.78, the interest for 2 years, 7 months, 12 days. 

59. Write out a full explanation of the solution of any 
problem in your arithmetic or algebra p lesson. 

EXERCISE 11. OUTLINING (182-7). 

60. The outlines of the contents at the beginning of each part of this 
book will serve as examples. The importance of this work cannot be 
overestimated. Select cne or more subjects from each of the lists in the 
foregoing exercises and outline them carefully. 



III. KINDS OF DISCOURSE. 

61. Having given a reasonable amount of attention to the Sources of 
information and the Manner of Expressing Thoughts, the pupils are 
prepared to study and write upon subjects coming under the different Kinds 
of Discourse All the following examples are from the work of pupils or 
from standard authors, and a careful study of them in connection with the 
definitions and rules (188-213) will not only enable the pupils to write 
upon one or more of the subjects following, but will also have an 
unconscious influence in forming their Style (214). Do not dwell too long 



yO PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

upon this division ; the first five Kinds of Discourse will probably be 
sufficient in going over the subject the first time. After studying Style, 
what has already been studied should be reviewed, and the subjects omitted 
may also be taken up. 

62. The exercises in Summary (188), Reproduction (190), and 
Paraphrasing (192), do not require any originality on the part of the 
writer, except the exercise of his own judgment in making a good selection 
of points of interest or importance. The thoughts are already furnished, 
and may, of course, be properly classed under some of the other Kinds oj 
Discourse. Originality is desirable in Narration (194), etc., but not always 
necessary. In getting information on any subject, the pupil should strive 
to make himself thoroughly familiar with it; then the knowledge he has, 
will be a part of himself and he will be able to write with as much ease as 
to talk upon familiar subjects, 

EXERCISE 12. SUMMARY (188-9). 

SNOW-BOUND (WHITTIER'S POEM).* 

63. The story is the description of a snow-storm at the 
house of John Greenleaf Whittier 6 , when 11 he was a boy. 
In the snow-storm spoken of u in the poem, the family were 
snow-bound and he describes the actions of each member of 
the family, the appearance of familiar p objects after the 
storm, and the cutting 8 the drift through to the barn to 
feed the stock. 

The stories of his mother and uncle, and their effects 
are also given. He also describes the school-master, his 
actions and his character. In the third reading he describes 
the arrival and actions of the teamsters 1 , who are to clear 
away the drift from the road. — A School-boy. 

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE". ACT I. 

64. Antonio, the Merchant, has a strange mood of 
sadness upon him, and a parcel of friends are bending their 
wits to play it off. Among them, and dearer to him than 
any of the rest, is one Bassanio, a gentleman who, young" 
and generous, has lavished his fortune. Bassanio' s heart is 

*This is not very well done, as It states what the poem is about instead of what it says. 






COMPOSITION. 21 

turning towards 15 a wealthy heiress 1 who, highly famed e for 
gifts and virtues, resides not many miles off; and from 
whose eyes he has received " fair speechless messages." 
But he wants " the means to hold a rival place" among her 
princely 1 suitors. Antonio's wealth and credit are freely 
pledged to his service. His friends, however", being all 
embarked in ventures at sea, he tries his credit with a rich 
Jew, whose person he has often insulted, and whose 6 greed 
his Christian liberality has often thwarted p . The Jew 
feigning p a merry humor, consents to lend the sum, provided 
Antonio sign 11 a bond authorizing 8 him, in case of forfeiture, 
to cut a pound of flesh from whatever part of his body he 
may choose. Antonio readily agrees to this, and so 
furnishes his friend for the loving enterprise. — Hudson. 

65. Read carefully part or all of one of the selections named, then 
make a summary of it. Other examples may be fouud in any reader, 
newspaper, or magazine. 1. Irving's "Rip Van Winkle." 2. Whittier's 
"The Barefoot Boy," (Literature, 23). 3. Longfellow's "Evangeline." 
4. Tennyson's "Enoch Arden." 5 Lowell's "The Courtin'." 6. Marsh 
on " The English Vocabulary " (87). 7. Shakespeare's " Julius Caesar." 
8. Thoreau's "A Battle between Ants," (Literature, 4). 9. Choate's 
" The Consolations of Literature " (78). 10. Irving's ' Legend of Sleepy 
Hollow." 

EXERCISE 13. REPRODUCTION (190-1). 

HEIGHT OF THE RIDICULOUS (LITERATURE, 83). u 

66. Once on a time, I wrote a very ridiculous poem and 
when I got it finished 11 , I called my servant and told him to 
take it to the printer and told him "there would be the 
devil to pay." As the servant went aw T ay he opened it and 
began to read 11 . At the end of the first line he began to 
grin ; at the next he began to laugh, and kept on thus e till 
he broke his waist-band. At last he fell into a fit and I 
had to Avatch him for several days, and never since then 
have I dared to w r rite a funny 8 piece. — A School-boy. 



22 PRACTICAL ENGLISH 

67. Reproduce one or more of the following named pieces according 
to instructions: 1. Whittier's "The Fireside" (Literature, 77). 
2. living's " Dutch Home Life " (Literature, 21). 3. Whittier's "Maud 
Muller." 4. Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride." 5. Byron's " Death " 
(Literature, 82). 6. The Battle of Waterloo* 7. Ward's "The 
Seventeen Mormon Widows" (Literature, 13). 

(58. Read an article from a newspaper, magazine, or any book in 
your possession, and reproduce it. 

EXERCISE 14. PARAPHRASING (192-3). 

69. " Wide o'er 8 the sky the splendor glows, 
As that portentous meteor rose ; 

Helm u , axe, and falchion p glittered bright, 
And in the red and dusky light 
His comrade's 13 face each warrior saw, 
Nor e marvelled it was pale with awe. 
Then high in air the beams were lost, 
And darkness sank upon the coast." 

The above is paraphrased 13 as follows : As the meteor 
rose higher and higher, and its brightness increased, the 
faces of the warriors turned pale from fear. At last, when 
high up in the heavens, it disappeared, and all was dark. 

70. Wealth begets want. 

Paraphrase : The desires u of man increase with his 
acquisitions. Every step that 11 he advances, brings some- 
thing within his view, which he did not see before, and 
which, as soon as e he sees it, he begins to want. When 
necessity 1 ends, curiosity begins ; and no sooner are we 
supplied 8 with every thing that nature can demand, than we 
sit down to contrive artificial appetites 13 . — Quackenbos's 
Rhetoric. 

•71. Paraphrase one or more of the following according to instructions 
(193): 1. Page 35, Ex. 27, Sen 1. 2. No pains, no gains. 3. Page 32, 

*Any other battle will do just as well. Such subjects are treated in Histories and 
Encyclopedias. 



COMPOSITION. 28 

Ex. 24, Sen. 9. 4. Nothing venture, nothing have. 5. Page 31, Ex. 23, 
Sen. 9. 6. One good turn deserves another. 7. Page 36, Ex. 28, Sen. 7. 
8. It never rains, but it pours. 9. Page 38, Ex. 31, Sen. 3. 10. Penny 
wise, pound foolish. 

EXERCISE 15 NARRATION (194-5).* 

A TRIP FROM ST. LOUIS TO ST. PAUL. 

72. Iii July last 11 , I determined to take a trip to St. 
Paul ; preparations could not be completed before the first 
of August. 

I embarked on the steamer " Sidney " of the Diamond 
Jo line, which left St. Louis, Sunday at noon. That 
afternoon was spent in walking around the boat, and sitting 
in the pilot house. 

On the morning of the third day the boat struck a sand 
bar. It 11 took three hours work to get the boat off. 

The first town of importance that was reached was 
Keokuk ; but arriving there so early in the morning, but 
little 6 could be seen of it. 

After leaving Keokuk we had a good run to St. Paul, 
having few adventures of any note, except one. One night 
Ave ran into a tree that was leaning over the water, and 
broke thirty-six slats out of the railing and one of the 
buckets out of the wheel. — A School boy. 

73. Write a narrative composition on one or more of the following 
subjects according to instruction? (195). Many other subjects perhaps 
more appropriate to certain schools will readily suggest themselves to both 
pupils and teacher. 1. What I Did Yesterday. 2. My Last Picnic. 3. A 

Hunting Expedition. 4. My Trip to . 5. Adventures of a Lost Dog 

6. The Life of Lafayette. 7. The Battle of Saratoga. 8. The Childhood 
of Washington. 9. The Public Life of Daniel Webster. 10. Experience 
of a Silver Dollar. 



♦See Literature, 30, for another example. 



24 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

EXERCISE 16. DESCRIPTION (196-7).* 

MY FRIEND. 

74. The person I am about to describe is eleven years 
of age. He is dark complected 1 , with blue eyes, and a nose 
knocked 8 out of shape, by his being thrown from a wagon 
during a run-away s ; small mouth u and moderately sized 
ears; brown hair and short neck. His head is set firmly 
upon his shoulders. His dress is as follows: blue shirt, 
short pants, brown stockings, button shoes and brown coat. 
His feet are rather large, but according to the old proverb, 
" There is nothing like a good foundation." 11 — A School-boy. 

75. Write a descriptive composition on one or more of the following 
subjects according to instructions (197). Objects and places with which 
we are familiar are the best for descriptions. 1. The Blacksmithf Shop. 
2. A Tramp. 3. Westminster Abbey, 4. A Locomotive. 5. A Bird. 
G. The Most Prominent Man I Have Seen. 7. The Indian. 8. The Creek 
at the Ford. 9. The Scissors Grinder. 10. The Fall of the Leaves. 

EXERCISE 17. EXPLANATION (198-9)4 

CHOOSING A PRESIDENT. § 

76. About six months before the presidential 1 election 
is to occur, which is on the first Tuesday after the first 
Monday in November, some person or persons call together 
an equal number of Democrats and Republicans to hold a 
convention for the purpose of nominating a Democratic and 
Republican president and vice-president. 

Then a number of electors is appointed in each state 
and this number is equal to the whole number of represen- 
tatives and senators which the state is entitled to in 
Congress. These electors are appointed by a committee of 
each party or by the state convention. 

*See Literature, 21, for another example. 

fAny other kind will do as well. 

iSee 57-8, for other example?. 

§Tlrs is not a very successful effort. The subject was rather difficult for the writer. 
You will s-e that some of his statements are not true, ihat he did not thoroughly understand 
his subject, and that he has not a very good command of language. 



COMPOSITION. 25 

Then the citizens on the above-mentioned 8 day cast their 
votes for the various electors, and the votes are counted and 
sealed by the governor and sent to congress, where they 
are again counted. They are usually counted by the presi- 
dent of the senate and the speaker of the house, but there 
was a dispute about this in 1876, and it was left to a com- 
mittee, but they did not decide. 

The electors cast distinct ballots for president and vice- 
president. The person having the highest 1 number of 
votes for president is elected. 

In case of a tie, from the three highest the house of 
representatives shall choose one of them, then if there is 
another tie and it is not decided before March 4, the day 
on which the president is to take the office, the vice-presi- 
dent shall take the office. — A School-boy. 

77. Treat the following subjects according to the rules (199): 
1. Long Division, 2. Winds. 3. Day and Night. 4. The Change of 
Seasons. 5. Paying Money by Means of Checks. 6. Choosing a President 
of the U. S. 7. The Aim of Life 8. How the Telephone Works. 9. 
Source of the Sun's Heat. 10. How Laws are Made. 

EXERCISE 18. ARGUMENT (200-1).* 

THE CONSOLATIONS OF LITERATURE. 

78. I come to add the final reason why the working 
man — by whom 6 I mean the whole brotherhood of industry 
— u should set on mental culture and that knowledge which e 
is wisdom, a value so high — only not supreme — subor- 
dinate alone to the exercises and hopes of religion itself. 
And that is, that therein he shall so surely find rest from 
labor ; u succor under its burdens ; f orgetf ulness 1 of its cares ; 
composure in its annoyances. It is not always that the 
busyp day is followed by the peaceful night. It is not 
always that fatigue 1 ^ wins sleep. Often some vexation out- 

* See Literature, 14, for other exercises in Argumentation. 



20 PEACTICAL ENGLISH. 



side of the toil that has exhausted p the frame; some loss in 
a bargain ; some loss by an insolvency 1 ; some unforeseen 8 
rise p or fall of prices ; some triumph of a mean or fraudu- 
lent competitor; "the law's delay, the proud man's con- 
tumely p , the insolence of office, or some one of the spurns 
that patient merit u from the unworthy takes " u — some self- 
reproach, perhaps — follow you within the door ; chill the 
fireside ; sow the pillow with thorns ; and the dark care is 
lost in the last thought, and haunts the vivid dream. 
Happy, then, is he who has laid up in youth, and has held 
fast in all fortune, a genuine 13 and passionate love 11 of reading. 
True balm p of hurt minds; of surer and more healthful 
charm than " poppy or mandragora p , or all the drowsy 
syrupsP of the world " — by that single taste, by that single 
capacity, he may bound in a moment into the still regions 
of delightful studies, and be at rest. .... 

To these uses, and these enjoyments ; u to mental culture, 
and knowledge, and morality — u the guide, the grace, the 
solace of labor on all its fields, we dedicate this charity ! 
May it bless you in all your successions 1 ; and may the 
admirable 13 giver survive to see that the debt which he 
recognizes to the future is completely discharged; survive 
to enjoy in the gratitude, and love, and honor, u of this gen- 
eration, the honor 11 , and love, and gratitude with which the 
latest will assuredly cherish his name, and partake and 
transmit 1 his benefaction. — Choate. 

79. Write an argument, either for or against, on one or more of the 
following subjects, according to instructions (201) : 1. The Revolutionary 
War.* 2. Washington's Greatness. 3. Debating Clubs. 4. The Study 
of Science.* 5. The Advantages of an Education. 6. English* the Most 
Important Study. 7. Capital Punishment- 8. Congress should pass an 
International Copyright Law. 9. Base Ball. 10. Is there Happiness 
Without Work ? 

* Any other similar subject will do just as well. 



COMPOSITION. 27 

EXERCISE 19. DEBATES (202-7). 

80. An example of a debate can not be given here for want of space. 
Debating is one of the most profitable and interesting exercises in which 
either the young or the old can engage. Generally there is some one in 
every school or neighborhood who understands how to conduct a debating 
society; and the principles laid down (203-7) will enable each member to 
take an active part. 

81. The following are suitable subjects for debates: 1 Country 
Life or City Life. 2. Is Theater going Wrong ? 3. Traveling or Reading 
as a Source of Information. 4. Which is the more useful, the Cotton Gin 
or the Loom? 5. Has the National Government a right to provide for 
Education? 6. Should the Jury System be Abolished? 7 Would the 
Annexation of Canada be advantageous to the United States? 8. Ought 
Education to be Compulsory? 9. Protective Tariff or Free Trade. 10. Is 
Labor-saving Machinery an Advantage to the Laboring Classes? 

EXERCISE 20. UTILIZATION (208-9). 

A TASTE FOR READING. 

82. When I pray for a taste which should stand 6 me 
in 11 stead under every variety of circumstances, and be a 
source of happiness and cheerfulness to me during life, and 
a shield 11 against its 11 ills, however things might go amiss 
and the world frown upon me, it e would be a taste for read- 
ing. Give a man this taste and the means of gratifying 5 it, 
and you can hardly fail of making him a happy man; u 
unless, indeed/ you put into his hands a most perverse 
selection of books. You place him in contact with the best 
society in every period of history — with the wisest 6 , the 
wittiest 8 , the tenderest, 6 the bravest, and the purest char- 
acters who have adorned p humanity. You make him a 
denizen of all nations, a cotemporary p of all ages. The world 
has been created for him. — Sir John Herschel. 

83. Note how the above selection illustrates the rules (209), then 
write upon one or more of the following subjects : 1. The Steam Engine. 
2. Coral. 3. The Post Office 4. The Telegraph. 5. Business Knowledge. 
6. Domestic Animals. 7. The Telephone. 8. The Atmosphere. 9. Money. 
10. Pencils. 



28 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

EXERCISE 21. IMITATION OF DIALECTS (210-11). 

84. A man dat kin make a libin' playin' de fiddle ain't 
ap' to pester de hoe-handle. You can't take de twis' out de 
gra'-vine by cultivatin' it. Green 'simmons ain't 'fraid o' 
nobody. Edication don't come by bumpin' 'g'in' de school- 
'ouse. It's a mighty lazy nigger dat don't keep his ax 
sharp. — J. A. Macon, in The Century, 

85. " Wuts the use a' meetin'-goin' 

Every Sabbath, wet u or dry, 
Ef its right to go a' mowin' 

Feller-men like oats an' s rye? 
I dunno u but wut 11 it's pooty e 

Trainin' round in bobtail coats, — 
But it's curus Christian 1 dooty p 

This 'ere cuttin' folks' throats. 

" Laborin' e man an' laborin' woman 
Hev one glory an' one shame, 
Ev'ry thin' thet's done inhuman 11 

Injers all on 'em the same." — Lowell. 

&6. W rite according to instructions for imitation (211) on one or 
more of the following subjects. Good examples are to be found in almost 
every work of fiction. Conversation, 1. Between Pat (an Irishman), and 
William. 2. Between Tom (a Negro) and James. 3 Between Adolphus 
(a German) and Henry. 4. The conversation of uneducated persons, those 
who cannot speak plainly, etc. , make good examples, but care must be 
taken not to make light of any one's misfortune. 

EXERCISE 22. COMPLEX COMPOSITION (212-3).* 

THE ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 

87. The Anglo-Saxon 8 represents at once the material 
substratum p and the formative principle of the English 
language. You may eliminate all the other ingredients, 

* See Liteeatube, 4, for another example. 



COMPOSITION. 29 

and^there still subsists a speech, of itself sufficient 11 for all 
the great purposes of temporal and spiritual 1 life, and 
capable of such growth and development from its own 
native sources, and by its own inherent 6 strength, as to fit 
it also for all the factitious 1 " wants and new-found s conven- 
iences of the most artificial stages of human society. If, u 
on the other hand, u you strike out the Saxon element, there 
remains but a jumble of articulate sounds without coher- 
ence, syntactic relation, or intelligible 1 significance. But 
though possessed 11 of this inexhaustible mine of native 
metal, we have rifled the whole orbis verborum, the world 
of words, to augment our overflowing stores, so e that every 
speech and nation under heaven has contributed some 
jewels 11 to enrich our cabinet, or, n at the least, some humble 
implement to facilitate the communication 1 essential to the 
proper discharge of the duties, and the performance of the 
labors, of moral and material life. 

The number of English 1 ' words not yet obsolete, but 
found in good authors, or in approved usage by correct 
speakers, including the nomenclature of science and the 
arts, does not probably fall short of one hundred thousand. 15 
Nov/ there are persons who know this vocabulary in nearly 
its whole extent, but they understand a large proportion of 
it much as they are acquainted with Greek or Latin, that 
is, as the dialect of books, or of special arts or professions, 
and not as a living speech, the common language of daily 8 
and hourly thought. Or if, like some celebrated English 
and American orators, living and dead, they are able, upon 
occasion, to bring into the field in the war of words, even 
the half of this vast array of light and heavy troops, yet 
they habitually 6 content themselves with a much less 
imposing display of verbal force, and use for ordinary 



30 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

purposes but a very small proportion 11 of the words they 
have at their command. Out of our immense magazine 13 of 
words, and their combinations, every man selects his own 
implements and weapons, and we should find in the verbal 
repertory? of each individual, were it once fairly laid open 
to us, a key that would unlock many mysteries 8 of his 
particular humanity, many secrets 11 of his private history. 

Few writers or speakers use as e many as ten thousand 
words; ordinary persons of fair intelligence 1 not above 
three or four thousand. If a scholar were 11 to be required 
to name, without examination, the authors whose English 
vocabulary was the largest, he would probably specify the 
all-embracing 3 Shakspeare, and the all-knowing e Milton. 
And yet in all the works of the great dramatist, there occur 
not more than fifteen thousand words, in the poems of 
Milton not above eight thousand. The whole number of 
Egyptian hieroglyphic 1 " symbols does not exceed eight 
hundred, and the entire Italian operatic vocabulary is said 
to be scarcely more extensive. — Mai % sh. 

88. Write a complex composition upon one or more of the following 
subjects according to instructions (213). The letters in parentheses after 
each subject indicate the Kinds of Discourse (188-212) that may very 
naturally be employed; N for narration, D for description, etc. 1. A 
Thunder Storm (N, D). 2. IIow We Elect Oir Governor (N, E). 3. Book 
Making (N, D, Ej. 4. Printing (N, D, E, U). 5. A Moonlight Ride (N, 
D). 6. Agriculture (D, U. A). 7. Dollie's Christmas (N, D). 8. Strikes 
(E, A, U). 



IV. STYLE (214). 

89. Intense study of the Bible will keep any writer from being 
vulgar in point oi style. — Coleridge. 

90. The study of expression should be a specific study, quite distinct 
from the invention of thought. — Choaie. 

91. My style was not formed without great care, and e irncst study 
of the best authors. I have labored hard upon it, for I early felt the im- 
portance of expression to thought. — Webster. 



COMPOSITION. 31 

92. Two or three faults of style occur to me iu looking over some 
former compositions. Too many adjectives; too many couplets of sub- 
stantives as well as adjectives, and perhaps of verbs; too set; sentences too 
much in the same mould ; too formal periphrasis instead of familiar ; 
sentences balanced by " ands," "buts" and semicolons; too many precise, 
emphatic pronouns, as "these," "those," "which," etc., instead of the 
particles "the," "a," etc. — Prescott. 



EXERCISE 23. ARRANGEMENT OF WORDS (215-225). 

93. Rewrite the following, changing the position of some of the 
transposed (225) elements so they will stand in their natural order (215) 
and vice versa; also write the number of the paragraph containing the rule 
that appl es; as, While stands the Coliseum, Home shall stand. — Byron. 
Rome shall stand while the Coliseum stands (224). 

Decide whether the sentence as here given or as you write it is the 
better. Clearness (229) and elegance (237) often depend upon the 
arrangement of the words, phrases, and clauses. 

94, 1. Wide is the gate and broad is the way that 
leadeth to destruction. — Bible. 2. "What a beautiful 11 bird ! 
3. The prayers we said were few and short. 4. Lands 11 he 
could measure, times and tides presage. — Goldsmith. 5. 
Sweet are the uses of adversity. 6. Flashed 11 all their sabers 
bare. u — Tennyson. 7. Scott is an author whom 11 every one 
is delighted with 11 . 8. Such things were not allowed for- 
merly. 9. Each human soul is the first created inhabitant 
of its own Eden. — Hawthorne. v 

10. Such sheets 6 of fire, such bursts of horrid thunder, 
Such groans' 1 of roaring wind and rain, I never 
Remember to have 6 heard. —Shakespeare. 

11. Diana of the Ephesians p is great. 12. There 6 
appeared unto them Moses and Elias. 13. Their dirge is 
sung 6 by forms unseen. 14. Blessed is he that considereth 
the poor. 15. Now is the winter" of our discontent, made 
glorious summer" 1 by this sun of York. — Shakespeare. 



32 PEACTICAL ENGLISH. 

EXERCISE 21 ARRANGEMENT OF THOUGHTS (226). 

95. Tell which of the following sentences are in the form of a 
climax (220), and which are anti-climax (226). Change each of the anti- 
climaxes to climaxes. 

96. 1. The stream of literature lias swollen 15 into a 
current — - 11 augmented into a river — expanded into a sea. 
— Irving. 2. Ambition creates seditions 15 , wars, discords, 
hatred, and shyness 8 . 3. It is utterly, totally, basely, and 
meanly false. 4. Swearing p is a great sin and ungenteel 1 . 
5. In a central region, midway on the continent, though 
somewhat nearer the Pacific than the Atlantic ocean, at an 
elevation of nearly seven thousand five hundred feet, lies 
the remarkable valley of Mexico, encircled 6 by a colossal 
rampart of the hardest rocks, and forming a circumference 
of about sixty-seven leagues, 15 with a sky of the deepest 
blue, a serene atmosphere, and a magnificent 1 landscape. — 
Prescott. 6. Virtue 15 supports in sickness, comforts 6 in the 
hour of death, strengthens in adversity, 8 and moderates in 
prosperity. 15 7. I should be delighted to introduce you to 
my friends, and to show you the objects of interest in our 
city, and the beautiful scenery in the neighborhood, if you 
were here. 8. It is an outrage to bind a Roman citizen ; to 
scourge 11 him is an atrocious crime ; to put 6 him to death 
is almost parricide l ; but to crucify him — what shall I 
call it ? 

9. Go, icondrous creature, mount ivhere science guides; 
Go, measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides; 
Instruct the planets in what* orbs to run; 
Correct old Time, and regulate the sun; 
Go, soar 11 with Pluto in tli > empyreal 6 sphered, 
To the first good, first perfect, and first fair; 
Go teach Eternal Wisdom how to ride, 
Then drop into thyself and he a fool. — Pope. 



COMPOSITION. 33 

10. The only principles of public conduct that are 
worthy of a gentleman and a man, are to sacrifice estate, 
ease, health, and even life itself, in the sacred cause of 
liberty, 

EXERCISE 25. ARRANGEMENT OF THOUGHTS (227-8). 

97. Tell which of the following sentences are periodic (227), which 
loose (227), 'and which balanced (228); as: Loose. — The live thunder- 
leaps along far from peak to peak, among the rattling crags. Periodic. — Far 
along*, from peak to peak, the rattling crags among e , leaps the live thunder*. 
— Byron. 

98. 1. Deserted u by his friends, 11 he was forced to 
have recourse 13 to those who had been his enemies. 2. Awf 
nobleness begins at once to refine a man's features, any 
meanness or sensuality 1 to imbrute them. — ■ Thoreau. v 
3. If ever u thou didst e thy dear father love, revenge his 
foul and most unnatural murder. — -Shakespeare. 4. The 
memory of the just is blessed 11 ; but u the name of the 
wicked shall rot. — Bible. 5. "We came to our journey's 
end at last, with no small difficulty, after much fatigue p , 
through deep roads and bad weather. 6. Better 11 to 
reign p in hell than serve in heaven. — Milton. 

7. On a sudden, open fly 

With impetuous 1 recoil and jarring sound 
Th ,s infernal doors. — Milton. 

8. Half way down a by-street of one of our New 
England towns, stands a rusty, wooden 1 house, with seven 
acutely peaked" gables, facing 11 towards various points of 
the compass, and a huge, clustered chimney in the midst. 
— Hawthorne. 9. Homer was the greater genius; Virgil 
the better artist; in the one we most admire the man; 
in the other the work. Homer hurries 8 us with a com- 
manding impetuosity 1 ; Virgil leads us with an attractive 



34: PBACTICAL ENGLISH. 

majesty; Homer scatters with a generous profusion; 

Virgil bestows with a careful magnificence 11 . — Pope, 

11. As when a prowling wolf, 

Whom 11 hunger drives to seek new haunt for prey, 
Watching u where 6 shepherds pen their flocks at eve 
In hurdled cotes p amid the field secure, 
Leaps u o'er 8 the fence with ease into the fold; 
Or as a thief u bent to unhoarcl 1 the cash 
Of some rich burgher p , whose substantial doors, 
Cross-barr'd and bolted 3 fast, fear no assault, 
In e at the window climbs 11 or o'er 11 the tiles; 
So clomb e the first grand thief into God's fold; 
So e since into his church lewd p hirelings climb. 

— Milton, 

EXERCISE 26. CLEARNESS.— OBSCURITY OR 
AMBIGUITY (229). 

99. A careful study of synonyms and antonyms (Lexicology, 
421-2) will aid in securing Clearness. The correct position of the elements 
(216-224:) and the correct use of punctuation marks (Syntax, 156-191) 
are of the greatest importance. The selections in 64 and 82 are good 
examples of clearness. After studying them carefully, tell why the 
following sentences are obscure, then change them so that the thoughts 
will be clearly expressed. 

100. 1. I believe he likes me better than you. 2. And 
thus the son 11 the fervent sire 11 addressed. 8. The rising e 
tomb a lofty column bore. 4. They laid the blame only on 
us. 5. God heapeth favors on his servants ever liberal 11 and 
faithful 11 . 6. We had a fine view from the fourth story 
of 11 the river. 7. Gold is s often obtained from quartz, 
which e is very useful. 8. We have a church large enough 
to accommodate a thousand- people, two stories 11 high 11 . 
9. The verses were written by one confined in the peni- 
tentiary, for u his own diversion. 10. Monthly school 
reports must be handed in on Wednesday of each week 



COMPOSITION. 35 

to insure publication. 11. Wanted. — A man to take 
care of a pair of horses of a religious turn of mind. 12. 
The beaux" of that period used the abominable art of 
painting their faces as well as the women. — -Disraeli. 
13. The custards were in cups which e we ate. 14. 
Found 11 . — A needle by a child, which had no eye 15. The 
former being a man of good parts of learning, and after 
some years spent in New College in Oxford, of which his 
father had been formerly fellow (that family pretending 
and enjoying many privileges there, as of kin to the 
founder 11 ), had spent his time abroad, in Geneva and among 
the cantons p of Switzerland.— Clarendon. 

EXERCISE 27. VARIETY (230). 

101. Study these examples of the different ways the same thought 
may be expressed : 

102. 1. Man wants but little here beloiv, 

Norioants that little long. — Goldsmith. 
Man wants but little, nor that little long. — Young. 2. A high 
school girl severely reprimanded her brother for using 11 the 
phrase "not to be sneezed at." She says he e ought to say e , 
" occasioning no sternutatory 1 convulsions." — Oil City Der- 
rick. 3. Johnson said, "The Rehearsal has not wit enough 11 
to keep it sweet;" then, after a pause, "It has not vitality 
enough to preserve it from putrefaction 1 "." 4. There is no 
greater pain than in sorrow to recall a happy time. — Dante. 
A sorrow *s u crown of sorrow is remembering happier* things. 
— Tennyson. 5. Johnson once said: " When we were taken 
up stairs, a dirty fellow bounced out of the bed on which 
one of us was to lie." He wrote it in his journal as follows: 
" Out of one of the beds on which we w T ere to repose, 
started up u , at our entrance, a man as black as Cyclops 11 



36 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

from the forge," 6. The following are the ways Shakes- 
peare speaks of morning: 

The eye of day hath oped its lid. 

Ton grey lines 
That fret the clouds are messengers of day. 

Night's candles are burnt out 11 , and 

jocund day 
Stands tiptoe e on the misty mountain top. 

But look, the morn 11 in russet mantle clad 
Walks o'er the dew of yon high eastern hill. 

See how the morning opes her golden gates, 
A. id takes her fareioell 11 of the glorious sun ! 

Lo u ! in the orient when the gracious light 
Lifts up u his burning head, each under eye 
Doth homage to his new-approaching s sight. 

7. Osesar beware of Brutus; take heed of Oassius; 
come not near Casca; have an eye on Oinna; trust nofc 
Trebonius; mark well Metellus Cimber.— Shakespeare. 

EXERCISE 28. VARIETY (230). 

103. After studying carefully the sentences in the last exercise, re- 
write the following, changing the form of expression, and see which makes 
the better impression: 

104. 1. He is a conceited" fellow. 2. Life is short". 
3. He has indulged 11 himself in liquor p . 4 Traitors should 
be hanged. 5. Industry is the cause of prosperity. 6. 
The glorious orb of day rises in the east. 7. We must all 
go to that land from whose bourn? no traveler returns. 8. 
The elephant is larger than any other quadruped 1 . 9. A 
profusion of beautiful objects everywhere surrounds 8 us. 



COMPOSITION. 37 

10. Tliat e boy is lazy. 11. She retired to her downy 
couch. 12. Call into requisition 11 the services of the 
family physician. 

EXERCISE 29. VARIETY (230). 

105. Rewrite the following sentences, inserting or omitting as the 
sense may require the appropriate form of the auxiliary be (Lexicology, 403) 
and change the object (Syntax, 107) and subject (Syntax, 101) to suit; as 
Morse invented the telegraph. The telegraph was invented by Morse. Be sure 
that the sentence after changing, means precisely the same as before '. 

106. 1. Cornwallis was defeated by the Americans. 
2. Education forms the youthful mind. 3. It was said by 
Talleyrand that the object of language 13 is to conceal 
thought. 4. A telegram was 11 received that the Indians 
were on the war path. 5. Washington made a great 
sacrifice 1 " for his country. 6. His voice was musical 3 and 
his manner attractive. 11 

EXERCISE 30. VARIETY (230). 

107. Use or dispense with the anticipative subject (Etymology, 103); 

as, There is no place like home. No place is like home. 

108. 1. By rigid economy men grow rich. 2. It u was 
Taylor who captured Mexico. 3. There" is a divinity that 
shapes our ends, rough hew them as we will. — Shakespeare. 
4. There 6 are no noble men but Romans. 5. It is not 
death to die. 6. To extenuate 11 the matter is vain. 7. It 
is not in 11 this world that Heaven's justice ends e . 8. No 
trace of the thief was there. 9. It grieves me not if men 
my garments wear. 10. There are none e that sin not. 

EXERCISE 31. VARIETY (230). 

109. Rewrite the following sentences changing clauses to word or 
phrase elements (Syntax, 93-5); as, There is a time when we may dance. 
There is a time to dance. 

110. 1. Truth gets voellif she is run over by a. locomo- 



38 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

tive 1 . 2. "When the cat's 8 away, the mice will play. 3. 
Men, like peaches and pears n , grow sioeet a little while before 
they are ready to fall. — Holmes. 4. We heard that he left 11 
town. 5. The true Christian lives as 11 the New Testament 
directs. 6. After he came, we retired. 7. Error dies of 
lockjaiv if she e scratches her finger. 8. Some minute p 
animals feed, though they have no mouths or stomachs. 
9. The place where Moses is buried is unknown 1 . 10. 
Some students are foolish 1 because they study so e late at 
night. 11. A farm which is desirable can be easily sold. 

12. A scholar who e has lost his money is not a bankrupt. 

13. His desire was that he might encourage 1 his friends. 

14. A general oftenp leaves his camp-fires burning that 
they may conceal his retreat. 15. That we make the 
most of golden opportunities 1 ', is a privilege as well as a 
duty. 

EXERCISE 32. VARIETY (230). 

111. Rewrite the following, changing words to phrases or clauses 
(Syntax, 93-5) where possible. Be careful not to change the ideas; as, 
The serpent's trail is over them all. The trail of the serpent is over them all. 
The trail which the serpent makes is over them all. Men of great talents are 
not always lovable 5 persons. Men of great talents are not always persons 
who are lovable. 

112. 1. The water-lily is the type of the poet's 11 soul. 
2. After 11 eating honey, one thinks his tea to be without 
sugar. 3. Death, delaying its visit long, will certainly 11 
knock at every door. 4. The Jews still expect the coming 
of the Messiahp. 5. Rain, falling 11 , rises from the lakes 
and seas as vapor. 6. Franklin, quoted 6 by everybody, 
must have been a wise philosopher. 7. Kead u by every 
one, the words of the English 6 Bible do not become obsolete. 
8. The study of the Greek and Latin languages might 
advantageously 1 be partly replaced by that of Anglo-Saxon. 



COMPOSITION. 39 

EXERCISE 33. VARIETY (230). 

113, Rewrite the following sentences changing at least one phrase 
in each to a word or a clause (Syntax, 93-5) expressing the same idea ; as, 
Everybody has something to teach us. Everybody has something that lie 
can teach us. 

114, 1. A thing of beauty is a joy forever. 2. To 
defend 6 ourselves and our own is an imperative duty. 3. 
Cairo is situated at the junction 1 of the Ohio and 
Mississippi. 4. The child obeys, from 11 love to its parents. 
5. To reduce 11 a language to writing is to put" 1 a stop to the 
formation of inflections. 6. Shakespeare was forty-four 3 
years old at Milton's birth. 7. By the concealment of his 
crime, u the murderer escaped detection. 3. To have a 
specific style and always* to use it is to be poor u in speech. 
9. It is a good sign, when writing, to have your feet grow 
cold. — Holmes. 10. Everybody concedes Washington's" 
having been u a purer patriot than Napoleon, 

EXERCISE 34. VARIETY (230). 

115, Change these sentences so as not to require quotation marks 
(Syntax, 189), and vice versa; as, Webster said that he stood* by the Union 
and all who stand by it. "I stand by the Union,'" said Webster, " and by all u 
who stand by it." 

116, 1. Macaulay said that Lord Bacon was the most 
celebrated man of the seventeenth century. 2. On hearing 
of victory, General Wolfe said that e he died happy. 3. "I 
would rather," said Henry Clay, " be right than be Presi- 
dent." 4. Pope says that fame can never make us lie 
down contented on our death-beds. 5. Webster said, 
" The public opinion of the civilized* world is rapidly gaining 
an ascendency 1 over mere brute force.''' 6. When 11 Alex- 
ander was asked why he did not contend in the Olympic 
games, he said, " I will when I have kings for my competi- 
tors." 7. Had you asked Dr. Johnson, " What is your 



40 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

opinion of a sick man ? u " he would have replied that every 
man is a rascal as soon as he is sick. 

EXERCISE 35. SAMENESS (230). 

117. In the following selection, observe that he is the subject of each 
sentence and all are constructed on the same plan. Good writers seldom 
make such mistakes. Reconstruct it. Contrast it with 129. 

' * He [Charles II.] had a very good understanding. He knew well the state 
of affairs at home and abroad. He had a softness 1 of temper that charmed 

all who came near him He seemed e to have no sense of religion: 

both at prayers and at sacrament, he, as it were, took care to satisfy people 
that he was in no sort concerned in that about which he was employed. So 
he was far from being ahypocriteP, unless his assisting" at those.performances 
was a sort of hypocrisy (as no doubt it was) u ; but he was sure not to increase 
that, by even the least appearance of religion. He said once to myself he 
was no atheist, but he could not think God could make a man miserable 
»>nly e for taking a little pleasure out of the way." — Bishop Burnet. 

EXERCISE 36. CONCISENESS (231). 

118. Conciseness is necessary in good news' reporting. To secure 
conciseness, " go critically over what you have written, and strike out every 
word, phrase, or clause, the omission of which impairs neither the clearness 
nor force of the sentence." — Swinton. The aim must be to convey the 
greatest quantity of thought with the smallest quantity of words. — Spencer. 
Observe how concise the following quotations are: 

119. 1. He twice forsook his party; his principles 11 , 
never 11 . 2. Thefts never enrich; alms never impoverish; 
murder will speak out of n stone walls. — Emerson. 

3. One effort, one u , to break the circling host; 
They form, unite, u charge, waver, — u al] u is lost. 

— Byron. 

4. O'er many a frozen, many a fiery Alp, 
Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens p and 

shades of death, 
A universe of death. — Milton." 1 

5. Be ye kindly affectionate one to another, with 
brotherly love, in honor preferring 1 one another, not sloth- 



COMPOSITION. 41 

ful p in business, fervent in spirit, serving 5 the Lord, 
rejoicing 5 in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant 
in prayer, distributing 1 to the necessities o£ the saints, 
given to hospitality 1 . — Bible, 

EXERCISE 37. PAUCITY (232). 

120. Correct the following : 1. A squirrel 1 * can 
climb a tree quicker than a boy u . — Webster. 2. I am 
far from an inquisitive 13 man 11 by temperament. — Bulwer. 
3. The wise man is happy when he gains his own approba- 
tion, the fool other people's 11 . 4. It is treason to speak u 
evil of the king, queen or heirs. 5. " ' My Christian 6 and 
surname begin and end with the same letter.* 11 Query 11 , 'Is 
my name Charles Cairns, or Bob Stubbs, or Roger Rover ? ' 
The statement requires expansion." — Nichol. 

EXERCISE 38. TAUTOLOGY (233). 

121. Show why these sentences are tautological, and 
correct them : 1. He made a false misrepresentation 1 . 

2. Such is the whole sum-total of information which the 
assiduity 13 of commentators 1 has collected 1 . — Carlyle. 

3. These are juvenile 33 efforts of a youth. 4. How calm and 
tranquil is the view. 5. That is the universal 1 opinion of 
all men. 6. He deserves the condign 6 punishment he has 
received. 7. You will receive your pay on the final 11 
completion of the work. 8. He stood speechless in our 
midst without uttering 13 a sound. 9. A new beginner 
seldom does well. 10. Thought and action mutually re- 
act upon each other. 11. The dead corpses of the 
Egyptians were embalmed 13 . 12. They returned back again 
to the same city from whence they came forth. 



42 PKACTICAL ENGLISH. 

EXERCISE 39. PLEONASM (244), 

122. Point out the pleonastic words in the following 
sentences: 1. He got on to n the omnibus. 2. Rhetoric, 
then, lies in between grammar and logic. — Kellogg. 3. I 
have got u my lesson. 4. In the afternoon I attended at 
one u of the churches. 5. What went ye out for to see? 
6. Be not too tame neither. 7. Both u of e them ran away. 
8. Do not give him none of your money. 9. It won't p 
rain, I don't 8 think. 10. We have seen with our eyes, 
and heard with our ears.* 11. The rebellion 1 was crushed 
out. 12. You had u ought to go to school. 13. That 
will do equally as u well. 14. From whence e did he come? 
15. The boy 11 , O where was he? 

EXERCISE 40. VERBOSITY (235). 

123. The following from Shakespeare's Hamlet is a good example of 
Verbosity. Paraphrase (192-3) it. 

124. Polonius. This business is well ended, — 
My Liege and Madame, to expostulate 

What Majesty should be, what duty is, 
Why day is day, night night, and time is time, 
Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time. 
Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, 
And tediousness 1 the limbs and outward flourishes, 
I will be brief. Your noble son is mad: 
Mad call I 11 it, for, to define true madness, 
What is't s but to be nothing else but mad? 
But let that go. 

Queen. More matter, with less art. 

Polonius. Madame, I swear I use no art at all. 
That he is mad, ''tis true u : His true, His pity; 
And pity His, His true: a foolish figure; 

* Sometimes Pleonasm is, justifiable on the ground of rhetorical emphasis. 



COMPOSITION. 43 

But farewell it 11 , for I will use no art. 
Mad let us grant him, then; and now remains 
That we find out the cause of this effect; 
Or rather say, the cause of this defect, 
For this effect defective 6 comes by cause; 
Thus 11 it remains, and the remainder thus. 

EXERCISE 41. AMPLIFICATION (236). 

125. From morn 

To noon he fell, from noon to dewey eve, 
A summer's day; and with the setting- sun 
Dropt from the Zenith like a falling star. 

—Milton. 

126. But whether I put the number too high or too e 
low is a matter of little moment. Such is the strength 
with which population shoots in that part of the world * 
that, state the numbers as high as we will, while the 
dispute continues, the exaggeration 13 ends. While we are 
discussing 1 any given magnitude 13 , they are growing to it. 
While we spend our time deliberating 6 on the mode of 
governing two millions 6 , w T e shall find that we have two 
millions more to manage. Your children do not grow faster 
from infancy to manhood than 11 they spread from families 
to communities, and from villages 5 to nations. — Burke. 

EXERCISE 42. ELEGANCE (237). 

127. And neither'' the angels in heaven above, 

Nor the demons under the sea, 
Can n ever dissever my soul" from the soul 
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee. —Poe, 

* America, 



44 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

128. Brave martyr' d s chief ! u no more our grief 
For thee or thine shall flow ; 

Among the blest in heaven ye rest, 
From all your toils below. 

NAPOLEON. 

129. Flung into life in the midst 6 of a revolution that 
quickened every energy of a people who acknowledge no 
superior, he commenced his course, a stranger by birth, and 
a scholar by charity! With no friend but his sword, and 
no fortune but his talents, he rushed into the lists where 
rank, and w r ealth, and genius 8 , had arrayed 8 themselves, 
and competition fled from him as from the glance of 
destiny. He knew no motive but interest — he acknowl- 
edged no criterion p but success — he Avorshipped 8 no God 
but ambition, and u , with an eastern devotion, he knelt at 
the shrine of his idolatry u 

A professed Catholic 11 , he imprisoned the Pope; a 
pretended 1 patriot, he impoverished 1 the country; and in 
the name of Brutus, he grasped without remorse, and wore 
without shame the diadem of the Caesars! Through this 
pantomime 13 of policy, fortune played the clown to his 
caprices p . At his touch, crowns crumbled 6 , beggars 5 
reigned, systems vanished, the wildest theories took 6 the 
color of his whim, and all 6 that was venerable, and all that 
was novel, changed places with the rapidity of a drama p .— 
Charles Phillips. 

ALLITERATION (238), 

130. Too much alliteration is a fault. 

1. Ha helephant heasily heats hat his hease 
Hunder humbrageous humbrella trees. 

2. There preached a pardoner 1 
As he a priest were, 



COMPOSITION. 



45 



Brought forth a bull 

With many bishops' seals. — Piers Plowman. 

3. Repining courage yields 3 
No foot to foe; the flashing fire flies 

As from a forge. — Spenser. 

4. Whereat 1 with blade, with bloody blameful 1 blade, 
He bravely broached his boiling bloody breast. 

— Shakespeare. 

EXERCISE 43. INELEGANCE (237). 

131. 1. May u be I may be able to come. — Lamb. 
2. Great writers may make or may mar a language. — G. 
Washington Moon. 3. Tediousness 1 is the most fatal u of all 
faults. — Johnson. 4. The rules of emphasis come in in 
interruption 1 . — Alvord. 5. I used the word in an unusual 
sense, but at the same time one u fully sanctioned by 
usage. —A Ivord. 

UNITY (240). 

132. In every composition, of whatever kind, some degree of unity 
is required, in order to render it beautiful. There must be always some 
connecting principle among the parts. . , . But most of all, in a single 
sentence, is required the strictest unity. For the very nature of a sentence 
implies one proposition to be expressed. It may consist of parts indeed; 
but these parts must be so closely bound together as to make the impression 
on the mind 1 , of one subject, not of many. — Blair. 

EXERCISE 44. RAMBLING (240). 

133. Observe how unity is violated in the following 
rambling sentences. The only way to correct such sen- 
tences is to reconstruct them entirely. 1. The lion is a 
noble animal, and lias been known to live fifty years in a 
state of confinement. 2. I became a man. I have always 
been mixed up with art. I have an uncle who takes photo- 
graphs 1 , and I have a servant who takes anything 11 he can 



46 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

set his hands on. — Artemus Ward, 3. The Chinese 
women are for the most part industrious 55 ; and use as em- 
bellishments of their beauty, paint, false hair, oils, and fat 
pork. 4. When quite a child, I used to draw on wood. I 
drew a small cart-load of raw material over a wooden 
bridge, the people of the village noticed me, I drew their 
attention, they said I had a future before me; up to that 
time I had an idea p it was behind me. — Artemus Ward. 



V. MARKING ERRORS. 

134. Some method of marking errors is very desirable, but it is not 
necessary to mark all. Practice alone makes good writers. If the pupils 
are far enough advanced, a line under the mistake or a check mark (>/) by 
it will attract attention, and the writer of the manuscript can find out for 
himself what the mistake is and make the correction. But with some 
pupils it is necessary to be more specific, and at the same time leave the writer 
to make the correction; with others the mistake must not only be pointed 
out, but the correction must be made. Proof readers * have certain marks 
to use in correcting proof. The following Scale of Criticism makes use of 
most of these, and of others which have been found useful. The proof 
reader's signs and an explanation of the way to use them are put in paren- 
theses. Instead of proofreader's marks, the following method of marking 
may be used: If a mistake occurs in spelling, mark it 8. To be more specific, 
mark after the 8 the number of the principle violated; thus, if a letter or 
letters have been omitted write 8i above the word. E2 indicates that the 
wrong gender is used, etc. When a mark refers to a sentence, or several 
words, inclose them in a parenthesis and mark near the last part of the paren- 
thesis. If the mistake is such that it cannot be marked at some particular, 
place, put the signs indicating the error at the beginning or in the margin 
near where the mistake is most evident. 

135 SCALE OF CRITICISM. 

I. Pronunciation (P or p). 

1. Wrong sound. 

2. Wrong syllabication, 

3. Wrong accent, 

* The proof reader is the person who makes the corrections in the work as it first comes 
from the printer. 



COMPOSITION. 47 

II. Spelling (S or s). 

1. Letter or letters to be inserted. (V or a at the proper place 

and the correction in the margin.) 

2. Apostrophe (asterisk or quotation mark) to be inserted, (a or 

V at the proper place and put (' or V m the margin.) 

3. Hyphen (or dot) to be inserted. (Place as above and out - or . 

in the margin.) 

4. Letters to be omitted. (A line through the letters and 8 * in 

the margin.) 

5. Letters to be transposed. (A line through or under them and 

tr. in the margin.^ 
8. Letters to be changed ; i. e. the wrong letters used. (A line 
through the wrong letters, and the right letters in the 
margin.) 

7. An imperfect, or a poorly formed, letter. (7 or X over the 

letter and the same in the margin.) 

8. Should be capital letters. (A line under and cap. in the 

margin, or letter in the margin with three lines under it.) 

9. Should be small capitals. (A line under and sm. cap. in the 

margin, or letter in margin with two lines under it.) 

10. Should be Italic letters. (A line under and ital. in the 

margin ) 

11. Should be Roman letters. (A line under and rom in the 

margin.) 

12. Should be small (lower case) letters. (A line under and I. c. 

in the margin. ) 
VS. Letters too close;— give "more space." (a or V at the right 
place and ft in the margin.) 

14. Letters too far apart;— "close up." ( 3 connecting the 

letters and the same in the margin.) 

15. Letters crooked or out of line. ( , or (, or /at the 

proper place and , or (, or / in the margin.) 

16. Letter upside down. *( O at proper place and °) in the 

margin. 

17. Letter from wrong font. ( C at proper place and wf in the 

margin.) 

18. A diphthong. (A line through or under the letters and the 

correction in the margin.) 

19. Spell instead of using figures (or signs). (A circle around the 

number, or sign, and spell in the margin.) 

20. Spell in full instead of abbreviating. (A line through the 

abbreviation and spell in the margin.) 

* This sign is called dele. It means take out, or expunge. 



48 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

III. Lexicology (L or 1), 

1. Wrong prefix. 

2. Wrong suffix. 

3. Wanting in simplicity. 

4. Foreign word. 

5. Obsolete word. 

6 Unauthorized word. 

7. Provincial or local word. 

8. Slang or vulgar word. 

9. Wrong word. 

10. Not the best word. 

11. Pet* word. 

1 2. Technical word. 

IV. Etymology (E or e). 

1. Wrong " part of speech." 

2. Wrong gender. 

3. Wrong number. 

4. Wrong case. 

5. Wrong degree of comparison. 

6. Wrong style. 

7. Wrong conjugation. 

8. Wrong form. 

V. Syntax, or Use (U or u). 

1. Word or words to be inserted, (a or V at proper place and 

the insertion in the margin.) 
.2. Word or words to be omitted. (A line through the word and 
d or dele in the margin.) 

3. Punctuation mark to be inserted. (A or V in the proper place 

and the correction in the margin; use (* or V in the margin 
for a reference or quotation mark.) 

4. Punctuation mark to be omitted (Same as 2, above.) 

5. Wrong punctuation mark. (Same as 6, under Spelling.) 

6. Words to be transposed. ( -"" X , / around 

the words and tr. in the margin. 

7. Wrong kind of element. 

8. Violation of a rule for syntax. 
VI. Composition (C or c). 

1. Words too close together; give ''more space.'' (A or V, or 

|, at the proper place and JJ in the margin.) 

2. Words too far apart; give "less space." ( C connecting the 

words and the same in the margin.) 

* A pet word is one that the writer seems to take delight in using. 



COMPOSITION. 49 

3. Begin a new paragraph. ( [ by the first word and the same, 

or If, or 2V. P. in the margin.) 

4. Do not begin a new paragraph ; " run in." (A line as shown 

( J and run in, or no If in the margin.) 

5. Word too far to left or right. ( L or J by the word and the 

same in the margin.) 

6. Word out of line; raise or lower, (mor^ above or below 

the word and the same in the margin,) 

7. Lines too close together. (> to show the place and lead in the 

margin.) 

8. Spaces between words or lines unequal, ( J at the proper 

place and ea ft in the margin.) 

9. Word or syllable should be at the beginning of the next line. 

( r- around the word and over in the margin.) 

10. What does this mean, or is it correct? Query. (A line 

under the word and Qu, Qy, or ? in the margin.) 

11. Folded wrong. 

12. Endorsement wrong. 

13. Heading, name, date, endorsement, etc., in the wrong 

place 

14. Too much margin. 

15. Not enough margin. 

16. Penmanship, or general appearance of the manuscript, bad. 

17. Begin a new sentence. 

18. Do not begin a new sentence. 

19. Sentence too long. 

20. Faulty arrangement of words. 

21. Faulty arrangement of ideas in a sentence. 
22 Lack of clearness. 

23. Lack of variety. 

24. Not concise. 

25. Not elegant. 

26. Lack of unity. 

27. Want of proper selection of points. 

28. Want of proper arrangement of points brought out. 

29. Misstatement of fact. 

30. Incomplete treatment, or failure to master the subject. 

31. Treatment does not correspond to the subject. 

32. Want of originality 
VII. Miscellaneous. 

1. Do not change; leave as it was. (Dots under the word and 
stet in the margin.) 



50 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

2. Word or words which are in the copy omitted. ( V or a at 

the proper place and out, see copy, or out sc. in the margin.) 

3. Rewrite, or send second proof. (Bevise on upper corner.) 

4. Not necessary to rewrite, or ready for the printer. (Press on 

upper corner.) 
136. The following sample pages of proof reading taken from 
Bardeen's Complete Rhetoric shows the application of most of the marks 
used by proof readers. You will observe that the proof reader has a mark 
of some kind in the margin opposite each change indicated in the lines; that 
the exact change to be made is sometimes indicated in the line as well as in 
the margin; and that instructions to the printer are inclosed in a circle to 
distinguish them from additions to the proof. There is also a straight 
oblique line to the right of each mark in the margin; this is insisted upon 
by some printers. 






COMPOSITION. 51 



PROOF READER'S CORRECTIONS. 

Popular glory is a pcrfejt coquette; her lovers musl; cj 

toil A feel' every inquietude, indulgeje very caprice) and ; / $/ fy J 

perhaps at last be jilted w*fc& the bargain^ ' into} run on\ 

(True glory, on the other hand, resembles a woman of 

sense : her admirers must play no trices; they feel no rom.f y 

great anxiety, for they are sure in tho end of being re- ital.f 

warded in proportion to their merit. [I know not how N.P.j 

to turn so trite a sub ject out of the beaten road of -"O/ 

eeawrwt place, except by illustrat ing it, rat her^by the' siet.f > | 

assistance of myfjudgmen ^than my { memory, and instead tr.j 

of-making reflections bj tcling a story. j / A Z/ 

A ["Chinese, who bad long studied the works of ' indent/ 

Confucius, who knew fourteen tbousand words, and could s ™- caps./ 

z= . i, ^ i i xi. i. v t\lhe characters of 

read a great part of every book that came A his way, once . , J 

took.it into bis head to travel into E props , and observe l.c.l 

the customs of a people in the arts of refining upon 



every pleasure. -Upon his arrival at- Amsterdam, his cap./ 

passion for letters naturally led him to a booksellers] J <y 

shop ; and as ho could speak DutclTIa little he civilly wj.\ tr.j o g 4 



> 



asked the bookseller for the works fo tho immortal tr / £• g» 

Ihxifou A The bookseller assured him he had never Q § |L 

heard the book mentioned before. "What! have you g s 

never heard of that immortal poet, /^returned the other, a"/ S. J 

much surprised, /\th at light of the eyes, that favourite of a_/ g "^3 

Jiings, that rose of perfection ! I suppose you know n . s*~~ * § 



thing of the immortal Fipsihihi, second cousin to the 
moon?" "Nothing at all indeed, sir," returned'TT^ *^~ 
other. " Alas !a cries our traveller^to what purpose t \!±/ A"' ^* 
then has one of these f&asted to death, and the other - $/ 

offered htca himself up as a sacrifice. to tho Tartarean ' ^/ 
£nemy to gain a renown which, has pever travelled be- 
yond the precincts of China & h~t 



52 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 



CORRECTIONS MADE. 



Popular glory is a perfect coquette; her lovers must toil, feel every 
inquietude, indulge every caprice, and perhaps a ! . last be jilted into the 
bargain. True glory, on the other hand, resembles a woman of sense: her 
admirers must play no tricks; they feel no great anxiety, for they are sure 
in the end of being rewarded in proportion to their merit. 

I know not how to turn so trite a subject out of the beaten road of 
common place, except by illustrating it, ra'her by the assistance of my 
memory than my judgment, and instead of making reflections by telling 
a story. 

A Chinese who had long studied the works of Confucius, who knew 
the characters of fourteen thousand words, and could read a great part 
of every book that came in his way, once took it into his head to travel 
into Europe, and observe the customs of a people whom he thought not 
very much inferior even to his own countrymen in the arts of refining 
upon every pleasure. Upon his arrival at Amsterdam, his passion for 
letters naturally led him to a bookseller's shop; and as he could speak a 
little Dutch, he civilly asked the bookseller for* the works of the immortal 
Ilixifou. The bookseller assured him he had never heard the book men- 
tioned before. "What! have you never heard of that immortal poet," 
returned the other, much surprised, "that light of the eyes, that favorite 
of kings, that rose of perfection! I suppose you know nothing of the 
immortal Fipsihihi, second cousin to the moon? " " Nothing at all indeed, 
sir," returned the other. "Alas!" cries our traveller, "to what purpose 
then has one of these fasted to death, and the other offered himself up as a 
sacrifice to the Tartarean enemy to gain a renown which has never travelled 
beyond the precincts of China." 

composition. 

137. Composition is that division of language which treats of obtain 
ing, arranging, and expressing our knowledge. 

138. A Subject is that to which attention is directed. A Theme is a 
subject limited to a definite thought. Generally there is no distinction 
made between the terms subject and theme. A theme is, strictly speaking- 
more specific than a subject. Thus the subject War might be treated from 
several standpoints, each of which would be a theme; as, The Horrors of 
War; The Necessity of War; The Results of the 'Mexican War, etc. 

139. A Paragraph is one or more sentences related in thought and 
treating of one of the divisions of a subject or theme. 



COMPOSITION. 53 

I. SOURCES OF INFORMATION* 

140. Observation. This is the most fruitful source of information, 
and by far the most valuable. Knowledge at first hand is always best. Use 
your eyes and ears, and try to remember what you see and hear. (3.) 

141. Conversation. Most persons are glad to talk of the things about 
which they know something. Get all the information you can on any given 
subject by talking with people you meet; but use it with discretion. (5.) 

142. Heading. Sometimes information can be obtained only by 
reading. As far as possible verify such knowledge by observation, con- 
versation, or thinking. (6.) 

143. Thinking. Reflect upon what you observe, hear, and read. 
The men and women that think, are the ones that influence the world. Ask 
yourself all the questions you can think of concerning your subject, and 
try to answer them. (7.) 



II, MANNER OF EXPRESSING THOUGHTS. 

I. CONVERSATION. 

144. Conversation * is talk in which all the participants have equal 
privileges. (11-4.) 

145. Rules. 1. Select subjects for conversation that can be handled 
briefly and in short speeches. 2. Listen attentively to what others say. 
3. Do not interrupt the person talking 4. Use the simplest, purest, and 
most expressive language at your command. 5. Confine your remarks to 
the subject under consideration, unless it is desirable to change the subject. 
6. Do not talk in an angry or boisterous manner, or say things that would 
wound the fee'ings of any one. 7. Remember that others of the company 
have the same rights you have. 

2. SPEAKING. 

146. Speaking is an oral expression of opinions by one person. 
(15-6.) 

147. Rules. 1. Speak to and look at your audience. 2. Speak in a 
tone that can be heard by your audience. 3. Speak plainly, bringing out 
all the distinct sounds of each word. (Pronunciation, 1-4.) 4. Have 
something to say worth hearing, and say it in the best language at your 
command. 5. Have your subject carefully outlined (182-2) and that 
outline fixed in the mind, or written on paper before you. 6. Confine 

* A conversation may partake of the natu e ^f a dialogue, or a play designed for the 
stage. 



54 PEACTICAL ENGLISH. 

your remarks to the subject; i. e., speak to the point; and stop when you 
have nothing more to say on the subject. 7. Show by your manner that 
what you say is important, and that you mean it. ' 

3. COMPOSITIONS. 

148. A Composition is the written expression of thoughts. (18.) 
Observe the following rules: 

149. The paper should be uniform in size and quality, about 8 in. by 
10 in.; this size is called " large letter paper," or " Congress letter." Ladies 
may use paper 7 in. by 8% in. 

150. The Heading should be written about an inch and a half from 
the top, and so as to leave the same amount of space on each side. 

151. Begin writing on the second line below the heading. 

152. The margins of the writing on the left side should be about 
three-fourths of an inch from the edge of the paper; on the right, about 
half an inch. 

153. The paragraphs should begin about half an inch further in than 
the margin of the writing. 

154. The penmanship must be neat and readable. 

155. The spelling must be correct ' Spelling, 97-149), and the 
words must be correctly used (Lexicology). 

156. The sentences must be correct (Etymology and Syntax). 

157. Number the pages at the right hand upper corner. (The paging 
may be put elsewhere, or may be inclosed in parentheses if thought more 
desirable.) 

158. Fold from the bottom, so that the width after folding will be 
about one third of the length. 

159. Endorsement, Write across the middle fold, about one inch 
from the left end, (1.) the subject, (2.) the date, and (8.) your name. 

4. LETTERS. 

160. A Letter is a composition addressed to a particular person. 
The body of the letter may be made up of any one or of several of the 
Forms of Discourse (188-218); or it may treat of friendship, business, 
etc. (20-30). 

161. The name of the place from which the letter is written should 
be about an inch and a half from the top, and nearer the right side of the 
paper than the left. It should be so clearly given that the house from 
which the letter is written could be easily found. Hence the name of the 
state or county (except in case of very large and well known cities), the 
county (in case the place is small or not very well known), and the name of 
the street and number of the house in cities should be given. 



COMPOSITION. 55 

162. The date should be on the line below the place, beginning about 
one inch farther to the right. If the paper is wide, the place and date may 
be written on the same line. 

163. The address of the person to whom you are writing should be 
the same as the directions on the envelope. It should begin about half an 
inch from the left side of the paper, and on the line below the date; or it 
may be put on the line below the name at the close of the letter. 

164. The salutation should be put on the next line below the address, 
and begin a little to the right of it. If the address is not given at the 
beginning, or if it takes three or more lines, the salutation should begin 
even with the margin on the left, and on the line below the date. 

165. The body of the letter should begin on the line below, and a 
little to the right of the close of the salutation. If the address and saluta- 
tion occupy four or more lines, the body may begin on the same line as the 
salutation. Observe 152-7. 

166. The complimentary dose should be written on the next line 
below the last line of the body of the letter, beginning a little to the left 
of the middle of the page. 

167. The name of the writer should be on the line below the com- 
plimentary close, and a little to the right of it; and his address, unless well 
known to the persons to whom the letter is written, should be written 
according to 169. 

168. Fold the letter first from the bottom, then from the top, so it 
will fit the envelope. If the paper is too wide for the envelope, fold from 
the right and left sides, then from the bottom and top to fit the envelope. 

169. The directions on the envelope should be written as follows: 
(1.) The name and titles should be on the first line, which should begin near 
the median line of the envelope, and nearer the left end. (2 ) The name 
and number of the street should be on the next line and a little farther to 
the right (3.) The county (when given) should be on the next line, and a 
little to the right, or in the lower left hand corner. (4.) The name of the 
state should be on the last line and a little farther to the right. 

170. The stamp should be on the right hand upper corner. 

171. The business card, or the directions to the postmaster, should 
be on the left hand upper corner or across the left end. 

5. FORMAL NOTES. 

172. The principles are readily learned bv studying correct forms 

(31-7.) 

6. PRINTED CARDS. 

173. Their style is almost entirely a matter of taste; hence rules can 
not well be given. (38-42.) 



56 PBACTICAL ENGLISH. 

7. BUSINESS FORMS. 

174. These, in part, partake of the nature of a letter, and the prin- 
ciples laid down (161-171) and the forms given (44-52) will enable the 
pupil to prepare those most commonly used. 

8. ADVERTISEMENTS. 

175. There are so many kinds of advertisements as to the subject 
matter and the form that no attempt will be made to discuss them here. 
(54-5.) 

9. SOLUTION OF PROBLEMS. (56-9.) 

176. Put your name (or number) on every paper near the right side, 
or elsewhere according to the teacher's directions, before beginning the 
work. 

177. Do not write out the problem unless told to do it; but be sure 
to write the number of the problem, as a heading, and if taken from the 
book, the page upon which it is found. 

178. The work must be neat. It must not be crowded. 

179. Arrange your work in order, so that if read just as given, it 
will be perfectly clear. 

180. Always say just what you mean, and all that you mean. When 
possible use drawings to make your work clear. 

181. In writing out an explanation or analysis of a problem, 
observe all the rules for composition. (151-9.) 

10. OUTLINING. 

182. Outlining or Classifying is a formal arrangement of the 
thoughts expressed or to be expressed. (60.) Observe the following rules: 

183. Write the subject you are going to outline the same as the 
subject of a composition. (150.) 

184. Number* and write the headings for the paragraphs the same 
as the paragraphs of a composition. Sometimes* you will find paragraphs 
in books that treat of more than one of the distinct divisions of a subject or 
a theme. In such cases make separate headings for each division. 

185. Number* the subordinate divisions of each heading 1, 2, 3, 
etc., with an exponent, one greater than the exponent of the number the 
heading has. Put them one space (about one-fourth of an inch) to the 
right. If you subdivide a heading, be sure that you have at least two 
subdivisions 

186. If the subject of one paragraph is subordinate to a heading 
already given, put it under that heading. 

187. Make the idea of each heading completely cover its ground, 
but neither overlap nor repeat anything expressed in another. 

♦Letters may be used Instead of numerals, or numerals with exponents or letters by them. 



COMPOSITION. 57 

III. KINDS OF DISCOURSE. 

1. SUMMARY. 

188. A Summary is a brief statement of the leading points of a 
literary production. (63-5.) 

189. Rules. 1. Study the selection carefully and make an outline 
(182-7) of the important points. 2. In giving the summary, follow your 
outline. 3. Use your own language. 4. Give the author's leading thoughts ; 
omit details. 

2. REPRODUCTION". 

190. A Reproduction is a composition containing all the points of a 
literary production. It is more complete than a summary (188), but less 
elaborate than a paraphrase. (66-8.) 

191. Rules. 1. Study the passage carefully and make an outline of 
it. 2. In reproducing it, use your outline only. 3. Do not use the forms 
of expression employed by the author; use his thoughts only. 4 Make a 
continuous story and tell it fully enough to convey all the author's 
thoughts. 

3. PARAPHRASE. 

192. A Paraphrase is a composition containing a clearer and some- 
times a fuller exposition of all the points in a selection. It requires a more 
careful study than either the summary (188) or reproduction (190). 
(69-71.) 

193. Rules. 1. Study the passage till you get the full meaning of 
every word in it, and the collective meaning of the whole. 2. Give the 
leading statements made by the author. 3. Give the implied or assumed 
thoughts of the author. 4. Use the simplest language you can; avoid the 
use of figures. 

4. NARRATION. 

194. Narration treats the subject in its relation to time. (72-3,) 

195. Rules. 1. Follow carefully the order of time. 2. Select for 
treatment the points of interest, and all the points necessary to make your 
subject clear. 

5. DESCRIPTION. 

196. Description treats the subject in the relation of its parts to each 
other and to other objects. ^74r-5.) 

197. Rules. 1. Follow carefully some definite order. 2. Select for 
treatment the points of interest, and all the points necessary to make your 
subject clear. 



58 PBACTICAL ENGLISH. 

6. EXPLANATION. 

198. Explanation treats the subject with a view to making the idea or 
thoughts clear. (76-7.) 

199. Hiiles. 1. If necessary, state just what the subject means, and 
what you want to show. 2. Proceed from the simplest to the most difficult 
principles, making each step clear, and, if necessary, use illustrations freely. 

7. ARGUMENTATION. 

200. Argumentation treats a subject in the relation of cause and 
effect, (78-9.) 

201. Rules. 1. Present your facts and prove them 2. Show the 
effects that have been produced, and that will be produced by certain 
causes. 

8. DEBATES. 

202. A Debate is a strife in argument between persons of different 
opinions. (80-1.) The following principles and rales apply more directly 
to debates, but they are more or less applicable to all forms of argumentative 
composition: 

203. Sides. 1. The affirmative attempts to establish the truth of a 
proposition. 2. The negative attempts to establish the falsity of the same 
proposition. 

204. Methods. 1. The analytic method requires the statement of the 
question or the answer, then the argument; proceeding from the less 
important to the more important. This is the most natural method and 
most frequently employed. 2. The synthetic method is the reverse of the 
analytic. It is employed when the opinion advocated is unpopular or in 
danger of being misunderstood. 

205. Introduction. Rules. 1. Try to impress your hearers with the 
importance of the subject. 2. State the subject with the greatest possible 
precision, and be sure that it is clearly understood; if necessary explain 
the meaning. 3. State wherein, if at all, you agree with your opponent 
and wherein you differ from him. 

206. The Argument. Rules. 1. Produce your facts as one compact 
whole, generally placing the strongest last. See that each strengthens what 
precedes. 2. Answer the opposite arguments produced and show that 
yours have not been answered. 3. Show clearly that the facts establish the 
truth of your proposition or the falsity of your antagonist's proposition. 

207. Conclusion. Rules. 1. Recapitulate the main points. 2. Appeal 
to the feelings and intelligence of your hearers to sustain the cause you 
advocate. 



COMPOSITION. 59 

9. UTILIZATION. 

208. Utilization treats the subject in its relation to progress. 
(82-3.) 

209. Rules. 1. Present your points in their order of importance, 
beginning with the least important. 2. Show the importance of your 
subject. 

10. IMITATION. 

210. Imitation treats the subject in exactly, or as nearly as possible, 
the language of another person. (84-6.) 

211. Rules. 1. Study carefully the habits and the manner of 
speaking of the persons whose language you wish to imitate. 2. Use as 
far as possible the same words and the same forms of expression that are 
used by the person whom you are imitating. 

11. COMPLEX COMPOSITION. 

212. Complex Composition treats a subject by using two or more of 
the foregoing kinds of discourse. (87-8.) 

213. Rules. 1. Have a clear idea of the impressions you want to 
leave in the mind of your hearer or reader. 2. Select for treatment such a 
variety of facts as will interest the hearer. 

Note. — Most subjects can be treated best by this method. Many 
novels combine, in one volume, all the kinds of discourse. 



IV. STYLE. 



214. By Style is meant the manner in which an author expresses his 
feelings and thoughts. "It is as various as character, of which language 
is the expression." — Hill. Only its leading characteristics are here given. 

1. ARRANGEMENT OF WORDS. 

215. The Natural Order of the elements* of a sentence gives the 
following arrangement : (93-4,) 

216. The subject* generally precedes the verb in declarative and 
exclamative sentences; as, The wind blows. How cold it is! 

217. The subject generally follows the verb or auxiliary in imperative 
sentences; as, Hallowed be Thy name. 

218. The subject generally follows the verb or auxiliary in interroga- 

* See Syntax for grammatical term ^ used in 215-324, 



60 PBAOTICAL ENGLISH. 

tive sentences, unless the interrogative word is the subject or a modifier of 
the subject; as, Have you the slate? Who was Junius f Which lesson have 
you studied? 

219. The object generally follows the word that governs it; as, Show 
[to] me the man. 

220. The attribute generally follows the word with which it is 
used; as, God is good. Why call ye me good? 

221. The possessive generally precedes the word it modifies; as, 
Your ways are not my ways. 

222. The appositive generally follows the word it modifies; as, O, 
ye hills/ 

223. Adjective 'words generally precede the words modified; phrases 
and clauses generally follow; as, That is the little boy whom you saw sitting 
on a log by the roadside. 

Note. — 1. If two or more adjectives are of equal rank, they are 
arranged in the order of the number of syllables; as, A sober, progressive, 
industrious man. 

Note.— 2. If two or more adjectives are of unequal rank, they are 
arranged according to their significance; as, Beautiful red apples. 

224* Adverbial elements are generally placed after a verb, but before 
any other words they modify; as, It is so strange He went quickly. 

225. The Inverted or Transposed Order is any change from the 
above; the most common are the change of the subject and predicate and the 
adverbial element; as, Great is Diana. There was a man named John. In 
the beginning, God created, etc. The style is often improved by inversion 
(93-4.) 

2. ARRANGEMENT OF THOUGHTS. 

226. Climax is the arrangement of ideas or thoughts according to 
their relative importance, placing the weakest firs' and the most important 
last. (95-0.) Anti-Climax is the reverse of this order; it is sometimes 
allowable in comic writings, but is generally a serious fault. (95-6.) 

227. A Periodic sentence is one in which the leading thought is 
suspended until the close. A Loose sentence is one which may be broken 
off before the close and still express the leading thought of the entire 
sentence. (97-8.) 

228. A Balanced sentence is one in which there are two parts slightly 
related, and contrasted in meaning. (97-8.) 

3. CLEARNESS. 

229. Clearness requires exact thoughts so expressed that they may 
be understood without any unnecessary effort. Ambiguity and Obscurity 
should condemn any composition. (99-100.) 



COMPOSITION, 61 

4. VARIETY. 

230. Variety requires changes in the construction of sentences, and 
in the character (Literature, 87) and sentiment (Litekature, 95) of 
the composition. (101-116.) Sameness and Uniformity should be 
avoided except, perhaps, in such books as descriptive botany, etc. (117.) 

5. NUMBER OF WORDS. 

231. Conciseness requires the clear expression of thoughts in the 
fewest words possible. (118-9.) 

232. Paucity is the use of too few words to express a thought 
properly. (120.) 

233. Tautology is useless or tedious repetition of ideas or thoughts. 
(121.) 

234:. Pleonasm, or Redundancy, is the use of unnecessary words. 
(122.) 

235. Verbosity, or Diffuseness, is the combination of a number of 
vague and, perhaps, unrelated thoughts. This fault may be overcome by 
reconstructing the sentence, if there really is anything of value in it. 
(123-4.) 

236. Amplification is the use of more words than are really necessary 
to express the thought, but which embellish or strengthen it. (125-6.) 

6. ELEGANCE. 

237. Elegance, or Beauty, requires the use of agreeable sounds, and 
agreeable combinations of sounds. (127-8-9, 130.) Inelegance may be 
due to the use of words difficult to pronounce, careless and unpleasant 
combination, repetition of the same sound, etc. 

238. Alliteration is a repetiiion of the same sound. It was used much 
by early writers and is not necessarily a fault. (130.) 

239. Expressions, in themselves harsh or inelegant, are allowable 
when the sounds correspond, in some respects, to the ideas expressed. 

7. UNITY. 

240. Unity requires that there be but one leading thought running 
through a sentence, a paragraph, or a composition. (132.) Rambling 
statements should be avoided. (133.) 



/ 



PRACTICAL ENGLISH 



Paet VII. 



LITEEATUEE 



BY 

E. R BOOTH, A. B. 

Principal Technical School, Cincinnati, O. 



The truth is, our language, so far from being harsh, or poor, or limited in its vocab- 
ulary, is the riche3t and most copious now spoken on the globe. — Mathews. 

Eloquence resides i-i the thought, and no words, therefore, can make, that eloquent 
which will not be so in the plainest that could possibly express the same. — John 
Fosteb. 



CHICAGO, ILL. 
A. FLANAGAN. Publisher. 



Copyrighted, 1889, 

BY 

A. Flanagan. 



CONTENTS 



1. Character of a Literary 



l 1 . 
2 1 . 
3 1 . 
4 1 . 
5 1 . 
6 1 . 
7 1 . 



Refined,— Coarse. 
Accurate, — Inaccurate, 
Deep, — Shallow, - 
Broad , — Narrow, 
Heavy, — Light, 
Argumentative, — Di tatorial. 
Specific, — General. 



Production, 

Definition, 88. 
- Definition, 89 
- Definition, 9( 
Definition, 91. 
Definition, 92. 
Definition, 98. 
Definition, 94 



2. Sentiment of a Literary Production, 



l 1 . Impassioned, — Tranquil, 

2 1 . Grave, —Lively, 

8\ Serious, — Mirthful, Humorous 

4 1 . Sublime, — Ridiculous, 

5 1 . Reverent, — Irreverent, 

6 1 . Pathetic or Sympathetic, — Cold, 

7 1 . Impersonation, Definition, 102. 



Definition, 90 

Definition, 97 

Definition, 98 

Definition, 99. 

Definition, 100 

Definition, 101. 

Exercises in Fear, 



1.* Definition, 87* 
Exercises, 2 and 3 
Exercises, 4 and 5 

90. Exercises, 6-8 
Exercises, 9-11 
Exercises, 12-3 
Exercises, 14-5 
Exercises, 16-7 
Definition, 95 
Exercises, 20-1 
Exercises, 22-3 
Exercises, 24-5 
Exercises, 26-7 
Exercises, 28-9 
Exercises, 30-1 
32; Anger, 33; 



18-9 



3. 



Grief, 34; Threatening, 35; Defiance, 36; Scorn, 37; Indignation, 
38; Shouting, 39; Sadness, 40. 

Definition, 103 
Definition, 104. Exercises, 42 
Definition, 105. Exercises, 42-3 
Definition, 106. Exercises, 45 
Definition, 10T Exercises, 44 
Definition, 108. Exercises. 46 
Definition, 109. Exercises, Al 



Figures, 
I 1 . Simile, 
2 1 . Metaphor, 
3 1 . Personification, 
4 1 . Allegory, 
5 1 . Synecdoche, - 
Metonomy, 
Interrogation, 
Exclamation, 
Apostrophe, 
Vision, 
Hyperbole, 
Irony, 
Antithesis, 
Allusion, 



5. 



6 1 . 

7 1 . 

8 1 . 

9 1 . 
10 1 . 
II 1 . 
12 1 . 
IS' 
14 1 . 

15 1 . Miscellaneous Examples of Figures, 
Nature. 

I 1 . Prose, - 

2 1 . Poetry, 

Forms. 

I 1 . Prose, - 
2 1 . Verse, - 

1*. Poetic Feet. 
I 3 . Iambus, 
2 3 . Trochee, 



Definition, 110. 
Definition 111. 
Definition, 112. 
Definition, 113. 
Definition, 114. 
Definition, 115. 
Definiiion, 116. 
Definition, 117. 



Exercises, 48 
Exercises, 48 
Exercises, 49 
Exercises, 49 
Exercises, 50 
Exercises, 50 
Exercises 51 
Exercises, 52 
Exercises, 53 



Definition, 125. 
Definition, 128. 



54 Definition, 118 
54. Definition, 119-21 

Definition, 122 

Definition, 123 

1 24 

Exercises 59 and (50 

Exercises, 58 and 6 i 



♦The numbers refer to the paragraphs. 



4 



CONTENTS. 



3 3 . Anapest, 
4 3 . Dactyl, 



4 3 . 
5 3 . 
6 3 . 

7 3 



2 3 
3 3 . 
4 3 . 
5 3 . 
6 3 . 
7 3 . 
8 3 

6. How to Study, 

7. Kinds of Prose. 

I 1 . History, 
2 1 . Biography, 
Description, 
Travels, - 
Letters, 
Critique, 
Essay, 
Treatise, 
Discourse, 
Fiction, 



2*. Number of Feet to the Verse, 
l 3 Monometer, 
2 3 Dimeter, - 

Trimeter, 

Tetrameter, 

Pentameter, 

Hexameter, 

Heptameter, 
8 3 . Octometer, 
3 2 . Completeness of Feet. 

I 3 . Catalectic, Definition, 130. 

2 8 . Hypercatalectie, 
4 s . Similarity of Sound. 
I 3 . Alliteration, 
2 3 . Rhyme, 
3 3 . Blank Verse, 
5 2 . Stanzas, 

l 3 . Common Meter, 

Long Meter, 

Short Meter, 

Elegiac Stanza, 

Romantic Stanza, 

Tennysonian Stanza, 

Spenserian Stanza, 

Sonnet, 



Definition, 127. Exercises, 59 
Definition, 128. Exercises, 57 and 61 



129 
Exercise, 56 

Exercise, 57 
Exercise, 58 
Exercise, 59 
Exercise, 60 
Exercise, 61 
Exercise, 62 
Exercise, 63 

Exercises, 57 and 63 
Definition, 131 



4 1 
5 1 , 
6 1 , 
7 1 , 
8 1 , 
9 1 , 
10 1 . 



132, Note 
Detinition, 132. Exercise, 64 
Definition, 133. Exercise, 64 
65. Definition, 134 
Exercise, 66 
Exercise, 67 
Exercise, 68 
Exercise, 69 
Exercise, 70 
Exercise, 71 
Exercise, 72 
Exercise, 73 
74-6 

Definition, 135 
Definition, 136 
Definition, 137 
Definition, 138 
Definition, 139 
Definition, 140 
Definition, 141 
Definition, 142 
Definition, 143 
Definition, 144 



8. Kinds of Poetry. 



I 1 . 

2 1 . 
3 1 

4 1 , 
5 1 . 



Narrative, 

Descriptive, 

Didactic, 

Lyric, 

Dramatic, 



Definition 
Definition 
Definition 
Definition, 148 
Definition, 149 



145 
146 
147 






LITERATURE (86). 

I. CHARACTER. 

1. The stucfy of the character (87-94) of a literary production is not 
so difficult a task as we often imagine. Even a child will appreciate the 
qualities represented by the following choice selections. Of ten representing 
extremes, it is believed that they will enable the student to get a clear idea of 
the character each is intended to illustrate. Study them carefully, and see 
if they conform to the thought of the definition. Remember that a choice 
selection may possess several different qualities; for instance, it may be 
refined and at the same time possess any of the other qualities except those 
representing opposites, — refined, coarse; accurate, inaccurate; etc Even 
these opposites may appear to advantage; but the character as a whole 
must be determined by that which predominates. Most of these selections 
contain gems of thought that should be memorized It is now desirable 
that the pupil select these for himself, hence they are not italicized as in the 
preceding Parts. The small letters, p, s, etc., mean the same as before 
(Composition, 2, Foot Xote). 

EXERCISE 1. REFINED, COARSE (88). 

2. GOD'S ACRE. 

I like that ancient Saxon phrase, which calls 
The burial-ground 8 God's-Acre! It is just, 

It consecrates each grave within its walls, 

And breathes a benison p o'er the sleeping dust. 

God's-Acre!" Yes, that blessed p name imparts 
Comfort to those who in the grave have sown 

The seed that they had garnered in their hearts, 
Their bread of life, alas! no more their own. 

Into its furrows shall we all be cast, u 

In the sure faith that we shall rise again 

At the great harvest, when the archangel' s p blast 
Shall winnow, like a fan, the chaff and grain. 

5 



6 PRACTICAL ENGLISH, 

Then shall the good stand in immortal 1 bloom, 
in che fair gardens 1 of that second birth ; 

And each bright blossom mingle its perfume 

With that of flowers which never bloomed on earth. 

~With thy rude ploughshare, Death, 11 turn up the sod, 
And spread the furrow for the seed we sow; 

This 6 is the field and Acre of our God. 

This is the place where human harvests grow. 

— Longfellow. 

3. The good sense of mankind bas placed the stamp of disapprobation 
upon all writings in which coarseness predominates; but we often find it in 
novels, dramas, etc., in which the evil as well as the good elements of man's 
nature are represented; as when Shakespeare makes Constance say: 

Death! 11 Death! O amiable 1 lovely death, 
Thou odoriferous 1 stench! sound rottenness! 

Arise forth from the couch of lasting night, 
Thou u hate and terror to posterity. 

EXERCISE 2. ACCURACY,* INACCURACY (89). 

A BATTLE BETWEEN ANTS. 

4. One day when I went to my wood-pile, 11 or rather 
my pile of stumps, u I observed two large ants, the one e red, 
the other much larger, nearly half an inch long, and black, 
fiercely contending with one u another. 11 Having once got 
hold they never let go, but struggled and wrestled p and 
rolled on the chips incessantly 1 . Looking 11 farther, I was 
surprised to find 6 that the chips were covered with such 
combatants, that it was not a duellum, but a bellum, a war 
between two races of ants, the red always pitted against the 
black, and frequently two red ones 6 to one black e . . 

It was evident that their battle-cry was — Conquer or die. 
In the meanwhile 6 there came along a single red ant on 
the hill-side of this valley, evidently full of excitement, 

* See 15 for another example. 



LITERATURE, 7 

who 6 either had despatched his foe, or had not yet taken 
part in the battle ; probably the latter, for he had not lost 
any of his limbs. . . . He saw this unequal combat 
from afar, — u for the blacks were nearly twice the size of the 
red, — u he drew near with rapid pace till he stood on his 
guard within half an inch of the combatants 13 ; then, watch- 
ing his opportunity p , he sprang upon the black warrior, and 
commenced his operations near the root of his right fore- 
leg, leaving 8 the foe to select among his own members; and 
so there w^ere three united for life. ... I should not 
have wondered p by this time to find that they had their re- 
spective 1 musical bands stationed on some eminent chip, 
and playing their national airs the while, to excite the slow 
and cheer the dying combatants. — Tlioreau. 

5. Inaccuracy in good literature is very apt to appear in the form of 
exaggeration or ridicule. Such a piece is generally shallow (90), narrow 
(91), or light (92) also. See the selection from Ward (13). Such writings 
will serve very well for amusement, but not for instruction. 

EXERCISE 3. DEEP,* SHALLOW (90). 

MORALITY. 

6. All things are moral. That soul, u which within us 
is a sentiment, outside of us is a law. We feel its inspira- 
tion 1 , out there in history we can see its fatal strength. 

u Justice is not postponed 1 . A perfect equity 11 

adjusts its balance in all parts of life Every 

secret is told, every crime is punished, every e virtue re- 
warded, every wrong redressed, in pilence and certainty. 
What we call retribution is the universal necessity by which 
the whole appears wherever a part appears. Crime and 
punishment 1 grow 11 out of one stem. Punishment is a fruit 
that unsuspected 1 ripens within the flower of the pleasure 
which concealed it. Cause and effect, means and ends, seed 

* See 16 for another example. 



8 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

and fruit cannot be severed; for the effect already 8 blooms 
in the cause, the end preexists 1 in the means, the fruit u in 
the seed. — Emerson. 

7. Shallow writing will serve for amusement, but there is too much 
of it in our popular novels. The mind as well as the body needs solid 
nutriment, and soon becomes enfeebled if fed upon gruels altogether. 

THE PIANIST. 

8. I don't like your chopped 8 music any way. That 
woman (she had more sense in her little finger than forty 
medical societies), Florence Nightingale, 11 says that the 
music s you pour out is good for sick folks, and the music- 
you pound out isn't. s Not 11 that" exactly, but something 
like it. I have been to hear some music-pounding s . It 
was a young woman, with as many white muslin flounces 
round her as the planet Saturn has rings, that did it. She 
gave the music-stool 8 a twirl 1 ' or two, and fluffed 8 down on to 
it like a whirl of soap-suds in a hand-basin. Then 11 she 
pushed up her cuffs as if she was going to fight for the 
champion's belt. Then she worked her wrists and her 
hands, to limber 'em s , I suppose, and spread out her fingers 
till they looked as if they would pretty p much cover the 
key-board, from the growling end to the little squeaky one. 
Then those two hands of hers e made a jump at the keys as 
if they were a couple of tigers p coming down on a flock of 
white and black sheep, and the piano gave a great howl as 
if its tail had been trod on. Dead stop, — u so still you could 
hear your hair growing. Then another jump, and another 
howl, as if the piano had two tails and you had trod on 
both of them at once, and then a grand clatter and scramble 
and string of jumps, up and down 6 , back and forward, one 
hand over the other, like 6 a stampede p of rats and mice 
more than like any thing I call 6 music 11 . I like to hear a 



LITERATURE. 9 

woman sing, and I like to hear a fiddle sing", but those 
noises they hammer out of those wood and ivory anvils — 
don't 3 talk to me, I know the difference between a bull-frog 
and a wood-thrush. — Holmes. 

EXERCISE 4. BROAD, NARROW (91). 

SHAKESPEARE. 

9. I have said that it was doubtful if Shakespeare had 
any conscious moral intention in his writings. I meant 
only that he was purely and primarily" poet. 11 And while 
he was an English poet in a sense that is true of .no other, 
his method was thoroughly Greek, yet with this remarkable 
difference, — that, u while the Greek dramatists took purely 
national themes and gave them a universal interest by their 
mode of treatment, he took what may be called cosmopol- 
itan 1 ' traditions, legends 1 ' of human nature, and nationalized 8 
them by the infusion of his perfectly Anglican breadth of 
character and solidity of understanding. Wonderful" as his 
imagination and fancy are, his perspicacity 1 and artistic 
discretion p are more so. This country tradesman's 8 son 
coming up to London, could set high-bred wits like Beau- 
mont, uncopiable 1 lessons in drawing" gentlemen such as 
are seen nowhere else but on the canvas of Titian; he could 
take Ulysses away from Homer and expand the shrewd and 
crafty islander 1 into a statesman whose words are the pith 
of history. But what makes him yet more exceptional was 
his utterly unimpeachable 1 judgment, and that poise 1 ' of 
character which enabled him to be at once the greatest of 
poets and so unnoticeable* a good citizen as to leave no in- 
cidents for biography. His material was never far-sought; 
(it is still disputed whether the fullest head of which we 
have record were cultivated beyond the range of grammar- 
school 8 precedent!)" but he used it with a poetic instinct 



10 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

which we cannot parallel, identified 8 himself with it, yet 
remained always its born and questionless 1 master. He 
finds the Clown and Fool upon the stage, — he makes them 
the tools of his pleasantry, his satire, and even his pathos; 
he finds a fading rustic superstition, and shapes out of it 
ideal Pucks, Titanias p , and Ariels, in whose existence states- 
men and scholars believe forever. . . . We say he has 
no moral intention, for the reason, that, as artist 1 , it was 
not his to deal with realities, but only with the shows of 
things; yet, with a temperament 11 so just, an insight so in- 
evitable 1 as his, it was impossible that the moral reality, 
which underlies the mirage v of the poet's vision, should not 
always be suggested 1 *. His humor and satire are never of 
the destructive kind; what 6 he does in that way is suggest- 
ive only, — not breaking bubbles with Thor's hammer, but 
puffing them away with the breath of a clown, or shivering 
them with the light laugh of a genial cynic p . Men go 
about to prove the existence of a God! Was it a bit of 
phosphorus p , that brain whose creations are so real, that, 
mixing with them, we feel as if we ourselves were but fleet- 
ing magic lantern shadows? 11 — Lowell. 

10. The remark concerning shallowness (7) applies to narrowness (91) 
also, but with less force. Narrow thinking is not even incousistent with 
depth. A narrow tool will cut deeper than a broad one. The selection 
from Thoreau (4) is rather narrow but it is full of meaning. 

FANCY DISEASES * 

11. " Diseases is u very various," said Mrs. Partington, 
as she returned from a street door conversation with Dr. 
Bolus. " The Doctor tells me that poor old Mrs. Haze has 
got u two buckles on her lungs ! It is dreadful to think" of, 
I declare. The diseases is so various! One way we hear 
of people's dying of hermitage of the lungs, another way of 

* This piece has mistakes in syntax as well as in lexicology. Point them out, and put the 
right words in the place of those Italicized. 



LITERATURE. 11 

the brown creatures; here they tell us of the elementary 
canal being out of order, and there about tonsors of the 
throat; here we hear of neurology of the head, there of an 
embargo; one side of us we hear of men being killed by 
getting a pound of tough beef in the sarcofagus, and there 
another kills himself by discovering his jocular vein. 
Things change so, that I declare I don't know how to sub- 
scribe for any disease now-a-days. New names and new 
nostrils takes u the place of the old, and I might as well 
throw my old herb-bag away. — Shillaber. 

EXERCISE 5. HEAVY, LIGHT (92). 

STUDIES. 

12. Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for 11 
ability. Their chief use for delight is in privateness 1 and 
retiring ; for ornament, is in discourse, and for ability is u in 
the judgment and disposition 1 of business ; for expert p men 
can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; 
but the general counsels and the plots and marshalling 8 of 
affairs come best from those that are learned 1 '. To spend" 
too much time in studies is sloth ; to use them too much for 
ornament is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their 
rules, is the humor of a scholar; they perfect nature and 
are perfected by experience: for natural abilities* are like 
natural plants, they need pruning 8 by study ; and studies 
themselves do give forth directions too much at large, 
except they be bounded in by experience. Crafty men 
contemn? studies, simple men admire them, and wise men 
use them, for they teach not their own use; but that is a 
wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation. 
Head not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take 
for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weighp 
and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be 



12 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

Bwailowed, and some few to be chewed p a ad digested; that 
is, some books are to be read u only in parts; others to be 
read, but not curiously ; and some few to be read wholly 8 
and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be 
read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others ; 11 but 
that would be only the less important arguments and the 
meaner sort of books; else distilled 8 books are like common 
distilled waters, flashy things. Reading maketh a full man; 
conference a ready man ; and writing an exact man ; and, 
therefore if a man write little, he had need have a great 
memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit; 
and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to 
seem to know that he doth 6 not. Histories" make wise men; 
poets, witty; the mathematics, subtile p ; natural philosophy, 11 
deep; moral 11 , grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend". 
— Bacon. 

THE SEVENTEEN YOUNG MORMON WIDOWS. 

13. I regret to say that efforts were made to make a 
Mormon of me while I was in Utah. 

It was leap year when I was there, and seventeen young 
widows — "the wives of a deceased Mormon (he died by 
request) — offered me their hearts and hands. I called 
upon them one day, and taking their soft, white hands in 
mine — which made eighteen hands altogether 3 — I found 
them in tears. And I said p , " Why is this thus 11 ?— what is 
the reason of this thusness e ? " 

They hove a sigh — seventeen sighs of different size. 
They said: 

" Oh, soon thou wilt be gonested away ! " 

I told them that when I got ready to leave a place I 
usually wentested. Thev said: "Doth not like us?" 

I said, "I doth! I doth!" I also said, "I hope your 

* This selection is a good illustration of inaccuracy (89) in writings intended to amuse. 



LITEKATUKE. 13 

intentions are honorable, as I am a lone child, and my 
parents are far, far away! " 

They then said, " Wilt not marry us?" 

I said, "Oh no; it cannot was 11 ." 

Again they asked me to marry them, and again I 
declined. When they cried: 

"Oh, cruel man! This is too much — oh 11 too much!" 

I told them it was on account of the muchness that I 
declined. — Artemas Ward, 

EXERCISE 6. ARGUMENTATIVE,* DICTATORIAL (93). 

RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH. f 

14. Important as I deem it to discuss, on all proper 
occasions, u the policy of the measures at present pursued, 
it is still more important to maintain the right of such 
discussion in its full and just extent. Sentiments lately 
sprung up, and now growing fashionable, make it necessary 
to be 11 explicit on this point. The more I perceive a dis- 
position to check the freedom of inquiry by extravagant 1 
and unconstitutional 1 pretenses p , the firmer shall be the 
tone in which I shall assert, and the freer the manner in 
which I shall exercise, it 11 . 

It is the ancient and undoubted 1 prerogative 1 of this 
people to canvass public measures and the merits of public 
men. It is a "home-bred right," a fireside privilege 1 ". It 
hath e ever been enjoyed in every house, cottage, 11 and cabin 
in the nation. It is not to be drawn into controversy. It 
is as undoubted as the right of breathing the air or walking 
on the earth. Belonging to private life as L a right, 11 it 
belongs to public life as a duty ; and it is the last duty 

* Paul's Defence before Agrippa, Acts, chap, xxvi., verses 2 to 29 inclusive, is a fine 
argument. 

+ This is also a fair example to illustrate general statement (94). 



14 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

which those u , whose u representative I am, shall find me to 
abandon. — Webster. 

hamlet's advice to the players* 

15. Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it 
to you, trippingly 8 on the tongue ; but if you mouth it, as 
many of our players do, I had u as lief the town-crier spoke 
my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your 
hands, thus; but use all gently: for in the very torrent, 
tempest, and, as I may say, whirlwind of your passion, you 
must beget a temperance that may give it smoothness. O, 
it offends me to u the soul to hear a robustious, periwig- 
pated 8 fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split 
the ears of the groundlings; who, for the most part, are 
capable of nothing but inexplicable p dumb shows and 
noise. I would have such a fellow whipp'd for o'erdping 
Termagant; it out-herods e Herod: pray you, avoid it. 

Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion 13 be 
your tutor: suit the action to the word, the word to the 
action, with this special observance, that you o'erstep not 
the modesty of nature; for any thing so overdone is from 
the purpose of playing, whose end, both at first and now, 
was and is to hold, u as 'twere, u the mirror up 6 to nature; to 
show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the 
very age and body of the times his e form and pressure. 
Now this overdone, or come tardy off, though it may make 
the unskilful 1 laugh, cannot but make the judicious p grieve; 
the censure of which one must, in your allowance, o'erweigh 
a whole theater of others 6 . O, there be players that I have 
seen play, and heard others praise, and that highly, — not 
to speak it profanely, — that neither having the accent of 
Christians nor the gait of Christian, Pagan, or Turk, have 

* Accuracy (89) and specific statement (94) arc vreV represented in this. 



LITEBATURE. 15 

so strutted* and bellowed that I have thought some of 
Nature's journeymen had made the men and not made them 
well, they imitated humanity so abominably. — Shakespeare, 

EXERCISE 7. SPECIFIC STATEMENT, GENERAL STATE- 
MENT (94). 

WIT AND HUMOU* 

16. Wit is abrupt, 11 darting, scornful, 11 and tosses its 
analogies 8 in your face ; Humor is slow and shy, insinuating*' 
its fun into your heart. Wit is negative, analytical 1 , de- 
structive 1 ; Humor is creative. The couplets of Pope are 
witty 8 , but Sancho Panza is a humorous creation. Wit, 
when earnest, has the earnestness of passion, seeking 11 to 
destroy; Humor has the earnestness of affection, and would 
lift up what is seemingly low into our charity and love. 
Wit, bright, rapid 11 , and blasting as the lightning, flashes, 
strikes, and vanishes in an instant; Humor, warm and all- 
embracing as the sunshine, bathes its objects in a genial 
and abiding light. Wit implies hatred or contempt of folly 
and crime, produces its effects by brisk shocks of surprise, 
uses the whip of scorpions and the branding-iron 11 , stabsi 
stings, pinches, tortures, goads, teases, corrodes, -under- 
mines 1 ; Humor implies a sure conception of the beautiful, 
the majestic, and the true, by whose light it surveys and 
shapes their opposites. It is a humane influence, softening 
with mirth the ragged" inequalities of existence 1 , promoting 
tolerant views of life, bridging 8 over the spaces which 
separate" the lofty from the lowly, the great from the 
humble. . . . When Wit and Humor are commingled 1 , 
the result is a genial sharpness, dealing with its objects 
somewhat as old Izaak Walton dealt with the frog he used 
for bait, — running the hook neatly through his mouth and 

* This selection is also rather deep (96) and broad (91). 



16 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

out at his gills 1 ", and in so doing " using him as though he 
loved him ! " — Whipple. 

AGAINST THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 

17. I can not, my lords, 11 I will 11 not, join in congratu- 
lation on misfortune and disgrace. This, 11 my lords, is a 
perilous and tremendous moment. It is not a time for 
adulation 13 ; the smoothness of flattery can not sa've us in 
this rugged and awful crisis. It is now necessary to 
instruct the throne in the language of truth. AVe must, if 
possible, dispel the delusion and darkness which envelop 15 
it, and display, 11 in its full danger and genuine colors, the 
ruin which is brought to our doors. Can ministers still 
presume to expect support in their infatuation 1 ? Can 
parliament 13 be so dead to its dignity and duty as to g<ive 11 
their support to measures thus obtruded and forced upon 
them ? — measures 11 , my lords, which have reduced this late 
flourishing empire to scorn and contempt! 

" But yesterday, and Britain might have stood against 
the world; now none 11 so poor to do 11 her reverence." The 
people * whom 11 we first despised as rebels, but whom we 
now acknowledge as enemies, are abetted against us, 
supplied with every military store — have their interest's 
consulted and their embassadors 1 entertained by our invet- 
erate 1 ' enemyf ; and ministers do not and dare not interpose 
with dignity or effect. — Chatham. 



II. SENTIMENT, 

18. Sentiment (95) is no less important than character (87-); neither 
is it less easily appreciated. The principles laid down for the study of 
character (1) are to be observed in the study of sentiment. 



* The Americans. 

* The French. 



LITERATURE. 17 

19. In the following selections study the character as. well as the 
sentiment. JSee also if you cannot find choice sentences or parts of sen- 
tences expressing some noble thought or feeling, well worth memorizing. 
The Italicized sentences in so many of the exercises in the preceding Parts 
of this book illustrate the nature of such quotations You will soon learn 
to appreciate such flashes of genius, and a little practice will enable you to 
select them from the writings of good authors. 

EXERCISE 8. IMPASSIONED, TRANQUIL (96). 

20, DESCRIPTION OF A HORSE. 

" 'Bring forth e the horse! ,u — the horse was brought; 
In truth he was a noble steed, 
A Tartar of the Ukraine breed, 
Who looked as though the speed of thought 
Were 11 in his limbs p ; but he was wild, 
Wild as the wild deer, and untaught, 
With spur and bridle undefiled — 
'Twas s but a day he had been caught; 
And snorting, with erected e mane, 
And struggling 6 fiercely, but in vain, 
In the full foam of wrath and dread 
To me the desert-born was led: 
They bound me on, that menial throng, 
Upon his back with many a thong ; 
Then loosed 13 him with a sudden lash — 
Away 6 ! — away 11 ! — and on we dash! — 
Torrents less rapid 11 and less rash." — Byron. 

DUTCH HOME-LIFE. 

21. To have seen a numerous household assembled 
around the fire, one would have imagined that he was trans- 
ported 1 back to those happy days of primevaP simplicity 
which float through our imaginations like golden visions. 
The fire-places were of a truly patriarchal magnitude, 
where the whole family, old and young, master and servant, 



I 



18 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

black and white, nay 6 , even the very cat and dog, enjoyed 
a community of privilege, and had each a prescriptive 1 right 
to a corner. Here the old burgher p would sit in perfect 
silence, puffing 55 his pipe, looking in the fire with half-shut 
eyes, and thinking of nothing f or u hours together ; his goede 
vrouw on the opposite side would employ herself 6 diligently 
in spinning her yarn or knitting stockings. The young 
folks would crowd around the hearth, listening p with breath- 
less attention to some old crone of a negro who was the 
oracle of the family, and who, perched p like a raven in the 
corner of the chimney, would 6 croak forth for a long winter 
afternoon a string of incredible 1 stories about New England 
witches, grisly ghosts, horses without 11 heads, and hair- 
breadth 8 escapes", and bloody encounters among the In- 
dians 13 ! — Irving. 

EXERCISE 9. GRAVE, LIVELY (97). 

THE TOMB. 

22. When 11 I look upon the tombs of the great, u every 
emotion of envy dies in me; u when I read the epitaph s p of 
the beautiful, 8 every inordinate 1 desire goes out; when I 
meet with the grief of parents p upon a tombstone p , my heart 
melts with compassion ; when I see the tomb of the parents 
themselves", I consider the vanity of grieving for those 
whom we must quickly follow. When u I see kings lying 
by those who deposed 1 them, when I consider rival wits 
placed side by side, or the holy men that divided the world 
with their contests and disputes, I reflect 6 with sorrow and 
astonishment on the little competitions 13 , factions, and 
debates of. mankind. When I 6 read the several dates of the 
tombs, of some that died yesterday, and some six hundred 
years ago, I consider that great day when we shall all" of 



LITERATURE. 19 

us be contemporaries^ and make our appearance' together. 
— Addison. 

23. THE BAREFOOT BOY. 

Blessings on thee, little man, 
Barefoot p boy, with cheeks of tan! 
With thy turned-up pantaloons, p 
And thy merry whistled p tunes ; 
With thy red lip, redder still 
Kissed by strawberries 8 on the hill; 
With the sunshine on thy face, 
Through thy torn brim's j aunty p grace. 
From my heart I give thee joy — 
I was once a barefoot boy. 

Prince 11 thou art — u the grown up man 
Only is republican. 
Let 6 the million-dollared 8 ride! 
Barefoot, trudging 8 at his side, 
Thou hast more than he can buy, 
In the reach of ear and eye — 
Outward sunshine, inward joy: 
Blessings on thee, barefoot boy! 

O, for boyhood's painless play, 
Sleep that 6 wakes in laughing day, 
Health that mocks the doctor's rules, 
Knowledge never learned of schools, 
Of the wild bee's morning chase, 
Of the wild flower's time and place. 
Flight of fowl, and habitude p 
Of the tenants of the wood; 
How 11 the tortoise p bears his shell, 
How the wood-chuck digs his cell, 
And the ground-mole sinks his well ; 



20 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

How the robin feeds lier young, 
How the oriole' s p nest is hung; u 
Where the whitest 8 lilies blow, 
Where the freshest berries grow, 
Where the ground-nut trails its vine. 
Where the wood-grape's clusters shine; 
Of the black wasp's cunning way, 
Mason 11 of his walls of clay, 
And the architecturaP plans 
Of gray hornet artisans ! 
For, eschewing p books and tasks p , 
Nature answers all he asks; 
Hand u to hand with her 6 he walks, 
Face to face with u her he talks, 
Part and parcel of her joy, — 
Blessings on thee, barefoot boy! 

•Sf: ^fr 7f* vfz 7$ ^P ?f: 

Cheerily 6 then, my little man, u 
Live and laugh as boyhood can! 
Though the flinty slopes be 11 hard, 
Stubble-speared the new-mown sward, 
Every morn shall lead thee through 
Fresh baptisms p of the dew, 
Every evening from u thy feet 
Shall the cool wind kiss the heat: 
All too soon these feet must hide 
In the prison cells of pride, 
Lose the freedom of the sod, 
Like a colt's for work be shod. 
Made to tread the mills of toil, 
Up and down in ceaseless moil: 
Happy if their track be found 
Never on forbidden 1 ground; 



LITERATURE. 21 

Happy if they sink not in 
Quick and treacherous sands of sin, 
Ah 11 ! that thou couldst 6 know the joy, 
Ere it passes, barefoot boy 11 ! — Whifiicr. 

EXERCISE 10. SERIOUS; HUMOROUS, OR MIRTHFUL (98). 

24. DEATH. 

"When thoughts 
Of the last bitter hour come like 6 a blight 
Over thy spirit, and sad images 
Of the stern agony, 11 and shroud, and pall, 
And breathless darkness, and the narrow house, 
Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart, — 
Go forth, under the open sky, and list 
To Nature's 6 teachings, while from all around, — 
Earth u and her waters, and the depths of air, — 
Comes a still voice: Yet a few days, and thee 
The all-beholding s sun shall see no more 
In all his course ; nor 6 yet in the cold ground, 
Where thy pale form was laid, with many tears, 
Nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist 
Thy image. Earth that nourished thee, shall claim 
Thy growth to be resolved to earth again, 6 
And, lost each human trace, surrendering up 
Thine individual being, shalt thou go 
To mix forever with the elements, 
To be a brother 11 to the insensible 1 rock 
And to the sluggish clod, which the rude swain 
Turns with his share, and treads upon. The oak 
Shall 6 send his roots abroad and pierce thy mould. 

— Bryant. 

25. HUDIBRAS. 

He was in logic a great critic, 
Profoundly 1 skilled in analytic; 



22 PKACTICAL ENGLISH. 

He could distinguish 1 ' and divide 

A hair, 'twixt 8 south and southwest side; 

On either which he would dispute, 

Confute^ change hands, and still confute; 

He'd 8 undertake 4 to prove, by force 

Of argument, a man's 6 no horse; 

He'd prove a buzzard is no u fowl, 

And that a lord may be an owl; 

A calf, an alderman 11 , a goose, a justice, 

And rooks, committee-men 11 and trustees. 

He'd run in debt by disputation 1 , 

And pay with ratiocination^ — Samuel Butler. 

EXERCISE 11. SUBLIME, RIDICULOUS (99). 

26. DARKNESS. 

I had a dream, which was not all a dream. 
The bright sun was extinguished, and the stars 
Did wander darkling 1 in the eternal space, 
Rayless and pathless p ; and the icy s earth 
Swung blind and blackening in the motionless air, 
Morn came and went 11 — and came, and brought no day, 
And men forgot their passions in the dread 
Of this their desolation; and all hearts 
Were chilled into a selfish prayer for light: 
And they did 6 live by watch-fires, and the thrones, 
The palaces of crowned kings — u the huts, 
The habitations 11 of all things which dwell u , 
Were burnt for beacons; cities were consumed, 
And men were gathered round their blazing 8 homes 
To look once more upon each other's face; 
A fearful hope was all the world contained: 
Forests were set on fire — but hour by hour 
They fell and faded— and the crackling trunks 



LITERATURE. 23 

Extinguished with a crash — and all was black. 

The brows of men by the despairing 13 light 

Wore an unearthly aspect, as by fits 

The flashes fell upon them; some lay e down 

And hid their eyes and wept, and some did 11 rest 

Their chins upon their clenched 6 hands and smiled; 

And others hurried to and fro, and fed 

Their funeral piles with fuel, and looked up 

With mad disquietude 1 on the dull sky, 

The pall of a past world; and then again 

With curses cast them e upon the dust, [ shriek' d, 

And gnashed their teeth and howled p : the wild birds 

And, terrified 11 , did flutter on the ground, 

And flap their useless wings ; the wildest brutes 

Came tame and tremulous ; and vipers crawl'd 

And twined themselves among the multitude 1 *, 

Hissing but u stingless — they were slain for food. 

— Byron. 

JILTED. 

27. My boat is on the shore my bark is on the sea, but 
before I pass p this door I will say farewell to thee. . 
I believed you true, and I was blest in so believing, and 
now I mourn that e'er p I knew a girl so fair, yet so deceiv- 
ing. .... I came here . . . with my bosom 
expanded 1 my heart dilated, and my sentiments of a corre- 
sponding 1 description. I go away with feelings that may be 
conceived but cannot be described 6 ; feeling within myself 
the desolating truth that my best affections have experi- 
enced, this night, a stifler p . ... I wish you a very 
good night, concluding with this remark, that there is a 
young lady growing 6 up at this present moment for me, 
who has not only great personal attractions, but great 
wealthy and who has requested her next e of kin to propose 



24 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

for my hand, which 11 having a regard for some members of 
her family, I have consented to promise. It's a gratifying 
circumstance which you'll be glad to hear, that a young 
and lovely girl is growing into a woman expressly on my 
account, and is now saving up for me. I thought I'd 
mention it. I have now merely to apologize 8 for trespassing 
so long upon your attention. Good night u . — Dickens. 

EXERCISE 12. REVERENT, IRREVERENT (100). 

28. NEARER HOME. 

One sweetly 6 solemn thought, 

Comes to me o'er and o'er; 
Tin nearer my home to-day 

Than I ever have been before; 

Nearer my Father's house, 

Where the many mansions be; 

Nearer 11 the great white throne, 
Nearer the crystal? sea; 

Nearer the bound of life, 11 

Where Ave lay our burdens down; 11 

Nearer leaving the cross, 
Nearer gaining the crown! 

But the waves of that silent sea 

Roll dark 6 before my sight. 
That brightly the other side 

Break on a shore of light. 

Oh 6 , if my mortal feet 

Have almost gained the brink; 
If it be I am nearer home 

Even to-day than I think; 



LITERATURE. 25 

Father, perfect my trust; 

Let niy spirit feel in death, 
That her feet are firmly set 

On the Rock e of a living faith! 

— Phoebe Cary. 

29. We often find in novels and the drama instances of irreverent 
language from the persons representing some bad trait of character. Thus 
a naughty child shows a lack of reverence for its parents; a law breaker for 
the law and those in authority; an infidel for the Supreme Being. Select 
an illustration from some book you have read. 

EXERCISE 13. PATHETIC, COLD (101). 

THE BURIAL. 

30. The service being ended, preparations 1 ' were made 
to deposit the coffin in the earth. There was that bustling 
stir that breaks so harshly on the feelings of grief and 
affection: directions were given in the cold tones of busi- 
ness 13 ; the striking 11 of spades into sand and gravel, which, 11 
at the grave of those we love, 11 is of all sounds the most 
withering. The bustle around seemed to awaken the 
mother from a wretched reverie 13 . She raised her glazed 
eyes, and looked about with a faint wildness. As the men 
approached 1 with cords, to lower the coffin into the grave, 
she wrung her hands and broke into an agony of grief. 
The poor woman who attended her 11 took her by the arm, 
endeavored to raise her from the earth, 11 and whispered 
something like consolation. ... As they lowered the 
body into the earth, the creaking of the cords seemed to 
agonize 8 her; but when on some accidental 1 obstruction, 
there was a jostling of the coffin, all the tenderness of the 
mother burst forth ; as if any harm could come to him who 
was far beyond the reach of worldly suffering. — Irving. 

31. Coldness on the part of the person supposed to be speaking is 
often represented by good writers. This, instead of indicating a lack of 



26 PBACTICAL ENGLISH. 

sympathy on the part of the writer, simply shows his power of portraying 
character. 

EXERCISE 14. IMPERSONATIONS (102). 

32. FEAR. 

Oh, I have passed a miserable night! 
So full of dreadful dreams ! u of ugly sights! 
That, as I am a Christian 6 , faithful man, 
I would not spend another such u a night, 
* Tho' 'twere to buy a world of happy days! 
So full of dismal terror was the time ! 

— Shakespeare. 

33. ANGER. 

Now imitate the action of a tiger, 

Stiffen 8 the sinews, p summon up the blood: 

Lend fierce and dreadful aspect to the eye, 

Set the teeth close, and stretch the nostrils p wide, 

Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit 

To its full height. — Shakespeare. 

34. GRIEF. 

Oh ! nothing now can please me ; 
Darkness and solitude, 11 and sighs and tears, 
And all the inseparable 1 train of grief, 
Attend 1 my steps forever. 

35. THREATENING. 

If u thou but frown on me, or e stir a foot, 
Or u teach thy hasty spleen to do me shame, 
I'll strike thee dead u . Put up thy sword betime, 
Or I'll so maul you and your toasting-iron, 
That you shall think the devil has come from hell. 

— Shakespeare. 

36. DEFIANCE. 

Whence and what art 6 thou, execrable shape ! u 
That dar'st 8 , though grim and terrible, advance 



LITERATURE. %7 

Thy miscreated front athwart my way 
To yonder gates ? Through them I mean to pass, 
That be assured, without leave asked of thee : 
Eetire, or taste thy folly, and learn by proof, 
Hell-born u , not to contend with spirits of heaven. 

— Milton. 

37 # SCORN. 

Thou u slave u ! thou wretch! thou coward! 
Thou e little valiant 6 , great in villainy ! 
Thou ever strong upon the stronger side ! 
Thou Fortune's 6 champion, that dost never fight 
But when her humorous ladyship 1 is by 
To teach thee safety.— Shakespeare. 

INDIGNATION. 

38. I call upon that right reverend and this most 6 
learned bench to vindicate the religion of their God, to 
defend" and support the justice of their country I call 
upon the bishops to interpose the unsullied 1 sanctity of 
their lawn, upon the judges to interpose the purity of their 
ermine, to save us from this pollution. I call upon the 
honor of your lordships to reverence the dignity 11 of your 
ancestors, and to maintain your own 6 . I call upon the 
spirit and humanity of my country to vindicate the national 
character. — Chatham. 

39 # SHOUTING. 

Go, u iing the bells, and fire the guns, 
And fling the starry banner out; u 

Shout " freedom 6 " till your lisping ones 
Give back their cradle-shout.— Whittier. 

4Q # SADNESS. 

" Farewell! " u said he, " Minnehaha p 
Farewell, O my Laughing? Water! 



28 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

All my lieart is buried with you, 

All my thoughts go onward with you! 

Come not back again 1 ' to labor, 

Come not back again to suffer 11 , 

Where the Famine 6 and the Fever 

Wear the heart and waste the body. 

Soon my task p will be completed, 

Soon your u footsteps 8 I shall follow 

To the Islands of the Blessed, 

To the Kingdom of Ponemah, 

To 11 the Land of the Hereafter! "—Longfellow. 



III. FIGURES (103). 

41. Figures that resemble each other in some respects are put in the 
same exercise. First study the definition with the illustration following it, 
then be careful to find the figures called for. Other exercises, if needed, 
may be selected from any paper, magazine, reader, or book not devoted to 
the dry details of some special subject. After pointing out the figure in 
each sentence, rewrite it in plain language. The names of the authors of 
many of these choice quotations are not given; supply the omission, if you 
can. Memorize the Italicized sentences. 

EXERCISE 15. SIMILE (104) AND METAPHOR (105). 

42. 1. An author's 11 pen, like children's legs, improves 
by exercise. 2. Love is the ladder on 11 which we climb to a 
likeness 1 ivith God. 3. Thy word is a lamp to my feet. 4. 
White 11 as snow were his locks, and his cheeks as brown as 
the oak-leaves. 5. Like an awakened conscience, the sea 
was tossing 6 and moaning. 6. She shed 6 a flood of tears. 
7. The clouds of adversity soon pass away. 8. A scolding 
woman's tongue is the only edge-tool that grows sharper 
by constant use. — Irving. 9. All the worWs a stage, and 
all the men and wom§n merely players. 10. Grateful per- 
sons resemble fertile? fields. 



LITERATURE. 29 

43. Mixed metaphors should be avoided. Note the 
following: 1. And now, sir u , I must embark into the 
feature on which this subject hinges. 2. He flung his 
powerful frame into the saddle, and his soul into the cause. 

EXERCISE 16 PERSONIFICATION (lOO) AND ALLEGORY (107) 

44. Only one of the selections in 45 is an allegory. Bunyan's 
"Pilgrim's Progress/' Spenser's "Faerie Queen," and Swift's "Gulliver's 
Travels" are good examples of lengthy allegories. 

45. 1. Let 11 the fields be joyful! 2. O e Freedom, close 
not thy lids in slumber. 3. Nature sings his praise. 4. 
Red Battle e stamped his foot, and nations felt the shock. — 
Byron. 

5. Hope for a season bade? the icorld farewell, 
And Freedom shrieked? when Kosciusko fell. 
6. Earth felt the wound; 11 and Nature from her seat, 
Sighing, u through all her works gave signs of woe 
That all was lost. 

THE SHIP OF STATE.* 

7. Thou e too 6 , sail on, O Ship of State! 
Sail on, O Union 11 strong and great! 
Humanity 1 , with all its fears, 
With all its hopes of future years, 
Is hanging breathless 13 on thy fate! 
We know what Master laid thy keel, 
What Workmen wrought thy ribs of steel, 
Who c made each mast, and sail, and rope, 
What anvils rang, what hammers beat, 
In Avhat a forge and what a heat 
Were shaped the anchors of thy hope! 
Fear not each sudden sound and shock, 
'Tis of the wave and not the rock; 

* Commie this to memory. It is one of the choicest g'^ms ever written in any language, 



30 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

'Tis but the flapping 8 of the sail, 

And not a rent made by the gale! 

In spite of rock and tempest's roar, 

In spite of false lights on the shore, 

Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea! 

Our hearts, our hopes, are all u with thee; 

Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears, 

Our faith triumphant o'er our fears, 

Are all with thee, — are all with thee! — Longfellow. 
8. If Christianity 1 ivere put down, I would hang the 
world in mourning, and make the Sea the chief mourner, 
with its dirge of holding winds, and its wild death-march 
of disordered waves. — Spurgeon. 

EXERCISE 17. SYNECDOCHE (108) AND METONOMY (109). 

46, 1. Look not upon wine (do not drink intoxicating 
liquors). 2. Can 11 gray hairs make folly venerable? — 
Junius. 3. That marble is a very fine specimen of art. 
4. The pen is mightier* than the sword. 5. The farmer sold 
ten head of horses. 6. He preached Paul u . 7. Give us 
this day our daily bread. 8. The world knows his virtue. 
9 Death knocks? alike at the palace and the cottage. 10. 
The face of the deep is frozen 11 over. 11. He bore away 
the palmP. 12. The class has read Longfellow. 13. Jay 
Gould has a long purse. 14 Flee from the bottle. 15. All 

hands to the lever. 

16. He [God] 
Flings from the sun direct the flaming day. — Thomson. 

EXERCISE 18. INTERROGATION (110) AND EXCLAMATION 

(111) 

47. 1. Can a leopard 13 change its spots? (A leopard 
can not change its color. ) 2. A horse 11 ! a horse ! my king- 
dom for a horse ! 3. Do girls never need to be scolded ? 



LITERATURE. ~ 31 

4. How poor, how rich, how abject, how august, 
How complicate, how wonderful is man! 
5. What 6 a beautiful flower! 6. Shall not the Judge of 
the earth do e right? 7. Who can count the number of the 
stars? 8. How dear to my heart are the scenes of my 
childhood 1 ! 9. What a piece of work is man! n how noble in 
reason! how infinite in faculties! 10. Shall u we do good 
that evil may come? 11. How 6 sublime the mountains 
are! 12. Does u not the world move? 

EXERCISE 19. APOSTROPHE (112) AND VISION (113). 

48. 1. O death, ichere is thy sting? O grave, where is 
thy victory? 

2. My country,' tis of thee, 
Sweet land of liberty, 
Of thee I sing. 
3. Arise, shine! for thy light is come, and the glory of 
the Lord is risen upon thee! — Bible. 4. From the tapestry* 3 
that adorns these walls, the immortal 1 ancestor of this noble 
lord frowns with indignation at the disgrace of his country. 
Chatham. 5. Glorious e Washington, break the long silence 
of that votive canvas; speak 11 , speak, marble lips; teach us 
the love of liberty protected by law. — Everett. 
6. Hail horrors"! hail, 

Infernal world! And thou! profoundest hell, 
Keceive thy new possessor. — Milton. 
7. O Jerusalem 6 , Jerusalem, thou that killest the proph- 
ets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often 
would I have gathered thy e children p together, even as a 
hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would 
not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate p . For I 
say unto you 6 , Ye e shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall 



32 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

say, Blessed is lie that cometh in the name of the Lord. — 
Bible. 

EXERCISE 20. HYPERBOLE (114) AND IRONY (115). 

49. 1. She shed a flood of tears. 2. Doubtless ye are 
the people, and wisdom will die with you. — -Job. 3. He was 
a man of boundless 1 knowledge. 

4. So frowned the mighty combatants p 

That hell grew darker at their frown. — Hilton. 
5. Cry aloud; for he is a god; 11 either he is talking, or 
he is pursuing, or he is on a journey; or peradventure 1 he 
sleepeth e and must be awakened. — Elijah to the priests of 
Baal. 6. Ye blind guides, which 11 strain at a gnat, and 
swallow a camel. — Bible. 7. He was so benevolent a man 
that, in his mistaken compassion, he would have held an 
umbrella 1 ' over a duck in a shower of rain. — J err old. 
8. What has the gray-haired* prisoner done? 
Has murder 11 stained his hands with gore? 
Not 1 so. His crime } s a fouler one — 

God made the old man poor. — Whittier. 

EXERCISE 21. ANTITHESIS (116). 

50. 1. To err v is human; 11 to forgive^ divine. 2. In a 
plant the clock is wound up e ; in the animal it runs down. 
3. Persecution p is not wrong because it is cruel, but it is 
cruel because it is wrong. 4. The wicked flee when no man 
pursuetlt; but the righteous are bold as a Hon.— Solomon.' 
5. A liar begins by making a falsehood appear like a 
truth u , and ends by making a truth appear like a falsehood. 

6. I do not tremble when I meet 
The stoutest 1 of my foes; 
Bid heaven defend me from the friend 
Who comes 11 and never goes.—Saxe. 
7. Dry den's page is a natural field, rising into inequal- 



LITERATURE. 33 

ities, 1 and diversified by varied exuberance 1 ' of abundant 
vegetation; Pope's is the velvet lawn, shaven by the scythe 
and leveled by the roller 1 . — Johnson. 

EXERCISE 22. ALLUSION (117). 
51. Tell what the Italicized words in the following 
sentences allude to: 1. Fling bid c a stone, the giant dies.* 
2. He who has really caught the mantle of the prophet ,p is 
the last man to imitate his walk. 

3. Nature and Nature's 6 laws lay hid in night: 
God said, Let Newton be! and all was light. 

— Pope. 
4. He smote the jock of the national resources 1 ', and the 
abundant stream of revenue gushed forth; he touched the 
dead corpse* of the public credit, and it sprang to its feet. 

— Webster. 

5. The Theban bard, in lyric strain of old, 
Pictured an eagle on Jove^s thunder-bolt; 
On our Jehovah's 11 'tis a Dove that perches. 

— Macbeth. 
6. Commerce has in all ages been the most formidable 
antagonist of war. In the smoke-pipe of every steamer 
which brings the merchandise of Britain to our ports we see 
a calnmet of peace which her war-chiefs* dare not extinguish* 

— Winthrop. 

EXERCISE 23. MISCELLANEOUS EXAMPLES OF FIGURES. 

52. Point out each figure and explain it. 1. How 
sweet the moonlight sleeps 8 upon this bank. — Shakespeare. 

2. She has seen sixteen 6 summers. 

3. . . It [music] u came o'er my ear like the sweet sound 
That breathes upon a bank of violets, 

Stealing and giving odor. — Shakespeare. 

* This alludes to David's killing Goliath, the account of which is given in 2 Samuel, xvii. 



34 - PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

4. In e the shipwreck of the State, trifles float and are pre- 
served; ichile everything solid and valuable sinks to the 
bottom, and is lost forever.— Junius. 5. Be not ashamed u 
of thy virtues 13 ; honor is a good brooch? to wear 11 in a man's 
hat at all times. — Ben Jonson. 

6. Man, like the child, accepts the proffered boon, 
And clasps v the bauble, ivhcn he asked the moon. 

— Birtiver. 

7. Hope, only Hope 11 , of all that clings 

Around us, never spreads 11 her wings. — Holmes. 
8. The pen is a great civilizer 8 . 9. The people are like the 
sea, and orators are like the wind. 10. The Sabbath is the 
golden clasp ivhich binds together 6 the volume of the iveek. — 
Longfellow. 11. Do Ave provoke the Lord to jealousy? are 
we stronger than He 8 ?' 

12. Now came still evening on, and Twilight 8 gray, 

Had in his sober livery all things clad. — Hilton. 
13. Gray hairs are Death's blossoms p . 14. What 6 a piece 
of work is man! how noble in reason! how infinite in fac- 
ulties! in form and moving 6 , how express and admirable 13 ! 
in action how like an angel! in apprehension 1 , how like a 
god ! the beauty of the world ! the paragon 1 of animals ! — 
Shakespeare. 15. No arch nor column in courtly 1 English, 
or courtlier 6 Latin, sets 11 forth the deeds and the worth of 
the Father of his country. — Everett. 

16. 'Tis known he [Hudibras 11 ] could speak Greek 

As naturally 1 as pigs squeak; 

Latin was no more difficile 13 

Than to 6 a black-bird 'tis to 6 whistle. — Butler. 
17. The mountains and the hills shall break forth before 
you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap 
their hands. — Bible. 18. They [Saul and Jonathan] were 
swifter 6 than eagles, they were stronger than lions, 



LITERATURE. 35 

19. Antony. — Here 11 , under leave 11 of Brutus and the rest, 
(For Brutus is an honorable man, 

So are they all, all u honorable men,) u 

Come 11 I to speak in Caesar's funeral. 

He was my friend, faithful and just to me: 

But Brutus says he was ambitious p ; 

And Brutus is an honorable man. — Shakespeare. 

20. When Israel p went out of Egypt, the house 11 of Jacob 
from a people of strange language; Judah was his sanc- 
tuary, and Israel his dominion. The sea saw it* and fled: 
Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like 6 
rams, and the little hills like lambs. What ailed thee, O 
thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast 
driven back? ye mountains, that ye e skipped like rams; 
and ye little hills, like lambs ? Tremble, thou earth 11 , at 
the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of 
Jacob; which 6 turned the rock into a standing water, the 
flint into a fountain of waters. — Psalm cxiv. 



IV. NATURE OF A LITERARY PRODUCTION. 

53. As will be seen from the definitions (118-121) the dividing 
line between Prose and Poetry is by no means clearly drawn except in so 
far as the Forms (122-3) are concerned. Figures (103) are generally 
more largely used in Poetry than in Prose. The latter is often very poetical 
as in the selection from Addison (22), and from Parkman (78); the former 
is sometimes very prosy, and is more properly prose in the form of verse 
(123). 

EXERCISE 24. NATURE. 

54. Turn to any of the selections between 2 and 40, and determine 
whether they are Prose or Poetry; if the former, is it poetical ? if the latter, 
is it prosy ? 

♦Italicized words in the Bible have no corresponding words in the original. 



36 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

V. FORMS. 

Prose has no special form, and Verse comprises almost numberless 
varieties, as will appear from the study of the following exercises. 

EXERCISE 25. POETIC FEET (124-8). 

55* Examples of the different kinds of Poetic Feet will be found 
after the definitions (124-8), and in the next exercise (65-73). Rewrite 
those in 56-73 and represent the feet, the accented, and the unaccented 
syllables, as in the illustration of the definitions. 

1. KINDS OF VERSES (129-130). 

MONOMETERS. 

56. MonometersP seldom occur The following consists of Iambic 
(125) Monometers (129): 

Hark ! hist e ! Of space 

Around All trace 

I list! Efface* 

The bounds Of sound. 

DIMETERS. 

57. Tennyson's " Charge of the Light Brigade " is Dactylic (128) 
Dimeter (129) with the fourth and last verse (123) of each stanza Cata- 
lectic (130). 

Cannon 11 to right of them, 

Cannon to left of them, 
Cannon in front of them, 

Volleyed 8 and thundered p : 
Stormed 6 at with shot and shell, 
Boldly they rode and well, 
Into the jaws of death, 
Into the mouth of hell, 

Rode the six hundred?. 

TRIMETERS. 

58. The following by Cowper is composed mostly of Anapestic 
(127) Trimeters (129). Frequently the first foot is an Iambus (125) as 
in the second line. 



LITERATURE. 37 



I am monarch of all I survey, — 

My right there is none to dispute, 
From the centre all round to the sea, 

I am lord of the fowl and the brute. 
O Solitude e ! where are the charms 

That sages have seen in thy face? 
Better dwell in the midst of alarms 

Than reign s in this horrible place. 

TETRAMETERS. 

59. The following is Anapestic (127) Tetrameters (129) with occa- 
sional Iambuses for the first foot. 

'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the 

house, 
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse ; 
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, 
In hopes that St. Nicholas 8 soon would be there; 
The children were nestled 6 all snug in their beds, 
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads. 

PENTAMETERS. 

60. Heroic measure consists of Iambic (125) Pentameters (129). 
This, without rhyrne (132), is the most common measure of Blank Verse 
(133) It is used in Milton's Paradise Lost and Shakespeare's Dramas. 
fSee 52, 19. Longfellow's Hiawatha is Blank Verse in Trochaic (126) 
Pentameter (129). See 40, 

HEXAMETERS. 

61. Longfellow's Evangeline is written in Hexameters (129). It is 
blank verse composed mostly of Dactyls (128); but all the other kinds of 
feet (125-7) are also found. The first two lines quoted each contain one 
Trochee ; the third, two ; the fourth, three ; the fifth, one. This is what is 
called Mixed Verse. 

This is the forest primeval ; but where are the hearts that 

beneath p it 
Leaped like the roe, when he hears in the woodland the 

voice of the huntsman ? 



38 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

Where is the thatch-roof ed p village, the home 11 of Acadian e 
farmers, — 

Men whose 6 lives glided on like rivers that water the wood- 
lands, 

Darkened" by shadows of earth, but reflecting an image of 
heaven ? 

HEPTAMETERS. 

62. Bryant's The Death of Flowers is written in Iambic (125) 
Heptameters (129). This is really the same as two verses, the first of four, 
and the second of three feet. 

The melancholy days are come the saddest 6 of the year, 

Of wailing winds 11 , and naked woods, and meadows brown 

and sear e . 
Heaped in the hollows of the grove, the autumn p leaves lie 

dead u ; 
They rustle to the eddying 8 gust, and to the rabbit's tread. 
The robin and the wren are flown, and from 11 the shrubs 

the jay, 
And from the wood-top calls the crow through all the 

gloomy day. 

OCTOMETERS. 

63. Poe's Raven consists of Trochaic (126) Octometers (129) ex- 
cept the last line of each stanza, which is a Tetrameter. Some of the verses 
are Catalectic (130). 

Once upon a midnight 1 dreary, while I pondered?, weak and 

weary, 
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, — 
While I nodded s , nearly napping, suddenly there came a 

tapping, 
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber 

door. 
" 'Tis some visitor," I muttered, " tapping at my chamber 

door; 
Only 6 this, and nothing more." 



LITERATURE. 39 

EXERCISE 26. SIMILARITY OF SOUNDS. 

64. Point out the Rhymes (132) in 56-7-8-9, 62-3. See 60 

and 61 for examples of Blank Verse (133). 

EXERCISE 27. STANZAS. 

65. The following are the most common kinds of Stanzas (134). 
In hymn books, the other meters are generally indicated by figures after the 
name of the tune, which indicate the number of syllables in the lines. 
Study each of these with reference to the Poetic Feet (124-8), the Kinds 
of Verse (129-131), the Rhymes (132), and the number of verses in each 
stanza. 

66. ■ COMMON METER. 

God moves in a mysterious 1 * way 

His wonders to perform; 
He plants His 6 footsteps in the sea, 

And rides upon the storm. — Cowper. 

67. LONG METER. 

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; 

Praise Him, all creatures 11 here below; 

Praise Him above, ye u heavenly host, 

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. — Thomas Ken. 

68. SHORT METER. 

The Lord my ShephercP is, 

I shall be well supplied 8 ; 
Since He is mine , and I am His, u 

What e can I want beside ? — Watts. 

69. TIIE ELEGIAC STANZA. 

Full many a gem of purest ray serene, 

The dark unfathom'd* caves of ocean bear p ; 

Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen, 

And waste its sweetness on the desert air. — Gray, 



40 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

70. ROMANTIC STANZA. 

He was a man of middle age ; 

In aspect manly 11 , grave and sage, 

As on king's errand come;* 
But in the glances of his eye, 
A penetrating 1 , keen, and sly 

Expression found its home.* — Scott. 

71. TENNYSONIAN STANZA. 

I hold it u truth with him who sings 
To one clear harp in divers p tones, 
That men may rise on stepping-stones 
Of their 11 dead selves to higher things. 

— Tennyson. 

72. SPENSEEIAN STANZA. 

O Mortal man, who livest here by toil, 

Do 11 not complain of this thy hard estate; 

That like an emmet thou 'must ever moil, 

Is a sad sentence of an ancient p date; 

And, certes, there is for it reason great 11 ; 

For, though sometimes it makes thee u weep and wail 

And curse thy star, and early drudge" and late, 

Withouten 1 that would come a heavier bale, 

Loose life, unruly passions, and diseases pale. 

— Thomson. 
73. sonnet, f 

Weak is the will u of man, his judgment 1 blind, 
Remembrance persecutes, and hope betrays ; 
Heavy is woe, and joy, for human kind, 
A mournful thing, so 11 transient is the blaze! 
Thus might he paint our lot of mortal 1 days, 
Who wants the glorious faculty assigned 

*The trimeters are not necessary I o the Romantic Stanza. 

tThe sonnet is really a complete poem in one stanza. Authors differ in the number of 
rhymes and the order in which they occur. 



LITERATURE, 41 

To elevate the more than reasoning mind, 

And color life's 11 dark cloud with orient rays. 

Imagination is that sacred power, 

Imagination lofty and refined 11 ; 

'Tis herV to pluck the amaranthine 13 flower 

Of faith, and round the sufferer's temple bind 

Wreaths p that endure affliction's heaviest 6 shower, 

And do not shrink from sorrow's keenest wind p . 

— Wordsworth. 



VI. HOW TO STUDY. 

74. In studying a selection, try to get a general idea of it before 
attempting to study it critically. After getting a general idea of it, 
ascertain, if you can, the object of the author in writing the piece ; learn as 
much as you can of the author's life, habits, education, social standing, 
political opinions, religious views, and the influences by which he was 
surrounded. These and many other characteristics are often very evident 
in his writings, and may throw light upon his character not obtainable in 
any other way. But the study of Biography (136) is not the study of 
Literature ; it may be a great help, but it is far from being the most 
important. 

75. The following outline has been found useful. It is based upon 
the principles laid down in the several Parts of Practical English. More 
stress is laid upon that part which treats of Literature proper, than upon those 
which treat of the outward forms in which it is represented. Remember, 
however, that the study of Literature avails little if we do not lay hold of 
the meaning and spirit of the author. Outlines may be of service as guides, 
but when guides are not needed, dispense with their use. 

76. OUTLINE FOR STUDY.* 

1. Pronunciation. — Is the pronunciation according to 
present standards? Does it represent any particular 
dialect? If so, what? 

2. Spelling. — Is the spelling according to modern 
standards? If not what are the peculiarities? 

*The numbers in parentheses in this section refer to sections in the part named at the 
beginning of the paragraph. 



42 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

3. Lexicology. — Are the words Anglo-Saxon (341), or 
classical (347) ? Short, or long? Simple (422), or diffi- 
cult? Pure (423), or impure? Accurately (429), or 
carelessly used? A large or a small vocabulary? 

4. Etymology. — Is one Part of Speech often used for 
another? Is there anything peculiar in the style (78-9), 
or forms (60, 82-6) of the words? 

5. Syntax. — Are the sentences long, or short? Simple, 
complex, or compound (96-100) ? Are the rules for 
syntax (133-154) correctly applied? Is the punctuation 
(156-191) correct? 

6. Composition. — What was the Source of Information 
(3-6) and is the subject mastered? What Kind of Dis- 
course (188-213) is it, and are any principles violated? 
What is the Arrangement of the Words (215-225) ? What 
is the Arrangement of the Thoughts (226-228) ? Is it 
clear (229), or obscure, and if obscure why? Is there 
variety (230), or sameness? Is it concise (231-6), or 
not? if not, the nature oL' the fault (232-6) ? Is it elegant 
(237), or inelegant, with source of the elegance or inele- 
gance? Is there unity (238), or is it rambling? 

7. Literature. — What can you say of the character 
(87), and is it consistent with and equal to the demands of 
the subject? What can you say of the sentiment (95), 
and is it genuine and consistent with the subject? What 
figures (103-117) do you find and are they well chosen? 
Is it prosey, or poetical (118-121) ? Is the form (122 3) 
suitable to the thoughts? Are the parts coherent and the 
events consecutive? Are the persons and scenes consistent 
with nature? Is there variety of characters or incidents? 
What are the traits in the character of each person repre- 
sented? What is the leading lesson taught by the produc- 



LITERATURE. 4B 

tion ? Does it, as a whole or in any particular part, suggest 
any thoughts of great value ? if so what are they ? 

EXERCISE 28. MISCELLANEOUS SELECTIONS. 

77. THE FIRES TDE. 

Shut in from all the world without, 

We sat the clean-winged hearth? about u , 

Content 6 to let the north-wind roar 

In baffled rage at pane and door, 

While the red logs before us beat 

The frost-line back with tropic p heat; 

And ever, when a louder blast 

Shook beam and rafter as it passed, 

The e merrier 8 up its roaring draught? 

The great throat of the chimney 1 ' laughed. 

The house-dog on his paws outspread 1 

Laid e to the fire his drowsy head, 

The cat's dark silhouette 13 on the wall 

A couchant 1 tiger's seemed to fall; 

And, for the winter fireside meet, 

Between the andirons' p straddling feet, 

The mug of cider simmered slow u , 

The apples spluttered in a row, 

And, close at hand, the basket stood 

With nuts from brown October's wood. — Whittier. 

THE COUNTRY OF THE ILLINOIS. 

78. The country of the Illinois was chiefly embraced 
within the boundaries 3 of the state which now retains the 
name. Thitherward, from the east, the west, and the north, 
three mighty rivers rolled their tributary waters; while 
countless smaller streams — smaller only in comparison — 
traversed the land with a watery network, impregnating the 
warm soil with exuberant 1 fecundity. From the eastward, 



44 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

the Ohio — La Belle Rivi&re — pursued its windings for more 
than a thousand miles. The Mississippi descended from 
the distant north; while, from its fountains in the west, 
three thousand miles away, the Missouri poured its torrent 
towards the same common centre. Born among mount- 
ains, trackless 1 even now, except by the adventurous 1 foot- 
step of the trapper, — nurtured amid the howling of beasts 
and the war-cries of savages, never silent in that wilderness, 
— it holds its angry course through sun-scorched deserts, 
among towers and palaces, the architecture of no human 
hand, among lodges of barbarian hordes p , and herds of 
bison blackening the prairie to the horizon. Fierce, reck- 
less, headstrong, exulting in its tumultuous force, it plays 
a thousand freaks of wanton power; bearing away forests 
from its shores, and planting them, with roots uppermost, 
in its quicksands; sweeping off islands 13 , and rebuilding 1 
them; frothing and raging in foam and whirlpool, and, 
again, gliding with dwindled current along its sandy chan- 
nel. At length, dark with uncurbed fury, it pours its 
muddy tide into the reluctant Mississippi. That majestic 
river, drawing life from the pure fountains of the north, 
wandering among emerald prairies and wood-crowned bluffs, 
loses all its earlier charm with this unhallowed union. At 
first, it shrinks, as with repugnance, and along the same 
channel the two streams flow side by side, with unmingled 
waters. But the disturbing power prevails at length; and 
the united torrent bears onward in its might, boiling up 
from the bottom, whirling in many a vortex, flooding its 
shores with a malign p deluge fraught with pestilence and 
fever, and burying 8 forests in its depths to insnare the 
heedless voyager. Mightiest among rivers, it is the con- 
necting link of adverse climates and contrasted races; and 
while at its northern source the fur-clad Indian shivers in 



LITERATURE. 45 

the cold, — where it mingles with the ocean, the growth of 
the tropics 11 spring along its banks, and the panting negro 
cools his limbs in its refreshing waters. 

To these great rivers and their tributary streams the 
country of the Illinois owed its wealth, its grassy prairies, 
and the stately woods that flourished on its deep, rich soil. 
This prolific land teemed with life. It was a hunter's 
paradise p . Deer grazed on its meadows. The elk trooped 
in herds, like squadrons of cavalry. In the still morning, 
one might hear the clatter of their antlers for half a mile 
over the dewy prairie. Countless bison roamed the plains, 
filing? in grave procession to drink at the rivers, plunging 
and snorting among the rapids and quicksands, rolling their 
huge bulk on the grass, or rushing upon each other in hot 
encounter, like champions under shield. The wildcat 
glared from the thicket; the raccoon thrust his furry 
countenance from the hollow tree, and the opossum swung, 
head downwards, from the overhanging 1 bough. 

With the opening spring, when the forests are budding 
into leaf, and the prairies gemmed with flowers; when a 
warm, faint haze rests upon the landscape — then heart and 
senses are inthralled with luxurious beauty. The shrubs 
and wild fruit-trees, flushed 11 with pale red blossoms, and 
the small clustering flowers of grape-vines, which choke 
the gigantic p trees with Laocoon writhings, fill the forest 
with their rich perfume. A few days later, and a cloud of 
verdure overshadows the land, while birds innumerable sing 
beneath its canopy, and brighten its shades with their 
glancing hues. — Francis Parkman. 

79. SNEEZING. 

What a moment, what a doubt! 

All my nose is inside out,: — 

All my thrilling, tickling caustic, 



4:6 PBAOTIOAL ENGLISH. 

Pyramid rhinocerostic u , 

Wants to sneeze and can not do it! 

How it yearns me, thrills me, stings me, 

How with rapturous torment wrings me! 

Now says, " Sneeze, you fool, — get through it." 

Shee — shee — oh! 'tis most del — ishi — 

Ishi — ishi — most del-ishi! 

(Hang it, I shall sneeze till spring!) 

Snuff is a delicious thing, — Leigh Hunt. 

80. THE FIRST SNOW-FALL. 

The snow had begun in the gloamings 

And busily p all the night 
Had been heaping field and highway 

With a silence deep and white. 

Every pine and u fir and hemlock 
Wore ormine p too dear for an earl p , 

And the poorest twig on the elm-tree 
Was ridged inch-deep with pearl. 

From sheds, new-roofed with Carrara p , 
Came chanticleer' s p muffled crow, 

The stiff rails were softened to swan's-down 
And still fluttered down the snow. 

I stood and watched by the window 

The noiseless work of the sky, 
And the sudden flurries 8 of snow-birds 

Like s brown leaves whirling by. 

I thought of a mound in sweet Auburn p 

Where a little headstone stood, 
How the flakes were folding it gently, 

As did robins the babes 11 in the wood, 



LITERATURE. 47 

Up spoke u our own little Mabel, 

Saying, "Father, who makes it snow?" 

And I told of the good All -Father 
Who cares for us all below. 

Again I looked at the snowfall, 

And thought of the leaden sky 
That arched o'er our first great sorrow, 

When that mound was heaped so high. 

I remembered the gradual patience p 
That fell from that cloud like snow, 

Flake by flake, healing and hiding 8 
The scar of that deep-stabbed 8 woe. 

And again to 11 the child I whispered, 

" The snow that husheth 6 all, 
Darling, the merciful Father 

Alone can make it fall." 

Then with eyes that saw not, I kissed her. 

And she, kissing u back, could not know 
That my kiss was given to her sister 

Folded close under deepening snow. — Lowell. 

BOOKS. 

81. Consider what you have in the smallest chosen 
library. A company of the wisest 8 and wittiest men that 
could be picked out of all civil countries, in a thousand 
years, have set in best order the result of their learning 
and wisdom. The men themselves were hid and inac- 
cessible 1 , solitary, impatient 11 of interruption, fenced by 
etiquette p ; but the thought which they did not uncover to 
their bosom p friend is here written out in transparent 1 ' 
words to us, the strangers of another age. 

We owe to books those general benefits 1 which come 



48 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

from high intellectual 6 action. Thus, I think we often owe 
to them the perception of immortality. They impart sym- 
pathetic 1 activity to the moral power. Go with mean people, 
and you think life is mean. Then read Plutarch, and the 
world is a proud place, peopled 6 with men of positive 
quality, with heroes and demigods 1 standing around us, 
who will not let us sleep. Then they address the imagina- 
tion: only u poetry inspires poetry. They become the 
organic culture of the time. College education is the read- 
ing of certain books which the common sense of all scholars 
agrees 1 will represent the science already accumulated. If 
you know that, — for instance in geometry, if you have read 
Euclid p and Laplace p , — your opinion p has some value; if 
you do not know these, you are not entitled to 6 give any 
opinion on the subject. Whenever any skeptic p or bigot 
claims to be heard on the questions of intellect and morals, 
we ask if he is familiar p with the books of Plato, where all 
his pert p objections have once for all been disposed of. If 
not, he has no right to our time. Let him go and find 
himself answered there. — Emerson. 

82. DEATH. 

The golden sun, 
The planets, all the infinite 1 host of heaven, 
Are shining on the sad abodes of death, 
Through the still lapse of ages. All that tread 
The globe are but a handfuP to u the tribes 
That slumber in its bosom. Take the wings 
Of morning, — and the Barcan p desert pierce 8 , 
Or lose p thyself in the continuous woods 
Where rolls the Oregon, and hears no sound 
Save his own dashings, — yet the dead are there ; 
And millions 11 , in those solitudes p - ? since first 



LITERATURE, m 

The flight of years began,, have laid them down 
In their last sleep. — Bryant 

88# THE HEIGHT OP THE RIDICULOUS. 

I wrote some lines once on a time 

In wondrous merry mood, 
And thought, as usual, men would say 

They were exceeding good. 
They were so queer, so very queer, 

I laughed p as I would die ; 
Albeit, in the general way, 

A sober man am I. 

I called my servant, and he came; 

How 6 kind it was of him, 
To mind a slender man like me, 

He of the mighty limb ! 

" These* to the printer/' I exclaimed, 

And, in my humorous way, 
I added (as a trifling jest) " 

" There'll 5 be the devil 1 to pay." 
He took the paper, and I watched, 

And saw him peep within 6 ; 
At the first line he read, his face 

Was all upon the grin. 

He read the next; the grin grew broad 

And shot from ear to ear ; 
He read the third; a chuckling noise 

I now began to hear. 

The fourth"; he broke into a roar; 

The fifth; his waistband split; 
The sixth; he burst five buttons off, 

And tumbled in a fit. 



T) 



50 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

Ten days and nights, with sleepless eye, 
I watched that wretched p man, 

And since, I never dare to write 
As e funny as I can. — Holmes. 

84. THE EARLY BLUE -BIRD. 

Blue-bird!" on yon leafless tree, 
Dost e thou carol thus to me, 

"Spring is coming! Spring is here! 
Say'st 8 thou so, my birdie dear? 
What is that in misty shroud 
Stealing from the darkened cloud? 
Lo c ! the snow-flake's gathering mound 
Settles o'er the whitened ground, 
Yet thou singest e , blithe 13 and clear, 

"Spring is coming! Spring is here! " 

Strik'st thou not too bold a strain? 
AVinds are piping 3 o'er the plain, 
Clouds are sweeping o'er the sky, 
"With a black and threatening eye; 
Urchins' 1 ' by the frozen rill 
Wrap their mantles closer still; 
Ton poor man, with doublet old, 
Doth p he shiver at the cold? 
Hath he not a nose" of blue? 
Tell me, birdling 1 — tell me true"? 

Spring's a maid of mirth and glee, 
Rosy wreaths p and revelry ; 
Hast thou wooed p some winged love? 
To a nest in verdant 1 grove? 
Sung to her of greenwood bower, 
Sunny 8 skies that never lower? 



LITERATURE. 51 



Lured her with thy promise fair, 
Of a lot, that ne'er p knows care? 
Prithee p , bird in coat of blue, 
Though a lover — tell her true. 



& 



Ask p her, if when storms are long, 
She can sing a cheerful 1 song 
When the rude winds rock the tree, 
If she'll 11 closer cling to thee? 
Then, the blasts that sweep the sky,' 
Unappalled 1 shall pass thee by ; 
Though thy curtained chamber show, 
Siftings s of untimely 1 snow, 
Warm and glad thy heart shall be, 
Love shall make it spring for thee. 

— Lydia H. Sigourney. 



LITEBATURE. 

SB, Literature is that division of language which treats of the nature, 
character, and sentiment of a composition. 

Sty* Literary criticism is the art of judging of the merits and defects 
of a written composition. — Hill. The critic is a judge and should point out 
excellencies as well as defects. 



I. CHARACTER, 






87. By Character is meant the knowledge and thoughtful ness shown 
by an author in his writing. 

HS. Refined character requires that the facts be given in such a way 
as not to disgust a cultured lady or gentleman (2). Coarseness should be 
condemned. 

89. Accuracy requires a most scrupulous adherence to the statement 
of farts ia matter of-fact literature, and to plausible events in imaginative 



52 PEACTICAL ENGLISH. 

literature (4). Inaccuracy destroys all merit in writings intended to 
instruct. 

90. Depth requires a thorough searching for the most exact prin- 
ciples (6). Shallowness is not to be condemned as it is not possible for 
every person to investigate thoroughly many of the subjects about which 
he should know something (8). 

91. Breadth requires the treatment of all the phases of a subject (9). 
Narroicness is not always a fault, as it is sometimes necessary to treat a 
subject from some one standpoint (11). 

92. Heaviness often involves both depth and breadth, and the treat- 
ment is such as to require great effort on the part of the reader or hearer to 
understand the subject (12). Lightness is often desirable, as diversion is 
necessary to the over tasked mind (13) 

93. Argument requires such a combination of related facts as to 
make the conclusion plausible (14). A Dictatorial method may influence 
or convince by the mere strength or truthfulness of the statements, or by 
the force with which the statements are made (15). 

94. Specific Statement requires the expression of an exact fact in the 
most unequivocal terms (16). General Statements may often be made to 
mean different things ; they should be avoided (17). 



II. SENTIMENT. 



95. By Sentiment is meant an author's feeling and its expression in 
his writings. 

90. Impassioned sentiment is the expression of intense feelings of 
either pleasure or pain (20). Tranquil (21) 

97. Grave sentiment is the expression of great deliberation 22). 
Lively '23) 

98. Serious sentiment is the expression of great earnestness (24). 
Mirthful, Humorous (25). 

99. Sublime sentiment is the expression of an appreciation of lofty 
ideas and thoughts (26). Ridiculous (27). 

100. Reverent sentiment is the expression of a deep sense of regard 
for superiors, for the aged, or for the Supreme Being (28). Irreverent 
language should not be approved or even tolerated (29). 

101. Pathetic, or Symjmthetic, sentiment expresses a feeling akin to 
that of the person or thing referred to (30). Cold (31). 

102. Impersonation expresses the thought and feeling of the person 
supposed to be speaking. It may represent Fear -32). Anger (33). Orief 
(34), Threatening (35), Defiance (36), Scorn (37), Indignation (38;, 
Shouting f39). Sadness (40), etc. 



LITERATURE. 68 

III. FIGURES.* 

103, Figurative language ab >unds in expressions in which one 
thing is said in the form of another related to it Plain language is less 
objectionable than too great Floridity. The figures should be in harmony 
with the clta/rader (87) and the sentiment (95) of the composition The 
following are the most important figures 

104, A Simile is a statement of the resemblance between two things. 
It is geuerally introduced by like or as; as, He shall be like a tree planted 
by the rivers of water (42). 

105, A Metaphor is a word used to imply a resemblance. It is a 
simi.e without the word of comparison ; as, He was a lion in the fight 
(42-3). 

lOO. Personification is treating an inanimate object or an abstract 
notion as a person ; as, The moon looks down upon the silent waters 
(44-5). 

107. An Allegory is a composition in which the chief ideas are 
represented in the form of metaphors (105). Fables and Parables are 
forms of the Allegory (44-5). 

108. Synecdoche is the use of a word to express either more or less 
than it really means ; as, Fifty sail [ships] were in the harbor (40*. 

109. Metonomy is the use of one noun to express the ide i of another 
necessarily related to it ; as, Put the kettle [water] on to boil (40). 

110. An Interrogation is the use of the interrogative form of a sen- 
tence to make a statement ; as, Can God do zorong ? (57). 

111. An Exclamation is the use of the exclam ttive form of a sentence 
to make a statement; as, How warm the sun shines! (57). 

112. An Apostrophe is a direct address to inanimate or abstract 
things, or dead or absent persons as if living and present ; ;is, My country, 
'tis of thee 48). 

113. Vision is the representation of past or future events as present: 
My father! mithinks I see my father (48). 

1 14 Hyperbole is an exaggerated form of statement; as, The waves 
rose mountain high (49 >. 

115. Trony is an expression meaning the opposite of what is in 
tended; as, Brutus is an honorable man (49). The use of this figure is a 
prominent element in Sarcasm 

110. Antithesis is the use of opposite ideas in the same sentence, or 
in closely related sentences; as, Pride hardens the heart, but humility softens 
it (50). 

1 17. Allusion is an expression in language which refers to some well 

*This^ubject is. perhaps, one of the divisions of Style (Composition 214), and as such 
should be f mad there. Ir, is put here because it is more important In studying a literary 
selection tha i in writing an ordinary composition. 



54 PRACTICAL ENGLISH. 

known object or event; as, Language is the amber in which a thousand pre- 
cious thoughts ham been safely imbedded and preserved. — Trench (51). 



IV. NATURE. 



118, Prose signifies the direct manner of common speech without 
twists or unusual ways of presentation. —Henry Morley (53-4). 

119. Poetry is the language of passion, or of enlivened imagination, 
formed most commonly into regular numbers. — Blair (53-4) 

120, Poetry is the presentment, in musical form, to the imagination 
of noble grounds for the noble emotions. — Buskin. 

121. Good Poetry might be defined ''elegant and decorated language 
in meter, expressing such and such thoughts," and good Prose composition 
as "such and such thoughts expressed in good language; that which is 
primary in each being subordinate in the other." — Whately. 



V. FORMS, 



122. Prose. (See definition 118.) 

123. Verse is any literary production in metrical form. A verse is 
one metrical line. 

1. POETIC FEET. 

124. The following are the principal kinds. Others, in English, are 
but modifications of these. The macron ( " ), placed over a syllable shows 
that it is accented ; a breve ( w ), that it is unaccented. A vertical line sep 
arates the feet. 

125. An Iambus is a poetic foot consisting of a short and a- long 
syllable; as, delay. 

Majes | tic raon | arch of | the cloud! (56, 60.) 

126. A Trochee is a poetic foot consisting of a long and a short 
syllable; as, envy. 

Tell me | not In | mournful | numbers (40, 63) 

127. An Anapest is a poetic foot consisting of two short syllables 
and one long one; as, disapprove. 

All at once | and all o'er | with amlght | y uproar (58-9). 

1 28. A Dactyl is a poetic foot consisting of one long syllable and two 
short ones- as, merciful. 

Coral reeis | under her, | ready to | sfwdSr her. 



LITERATUKE. 

2. NUMBER OF FEET. 

129. Monometer is a verse of one foot (56). Define also, Dimeter 
57), Trimeter (58), Tetrameter (59), Pentameter (60). Hexameter (61) 
Heptameter (62), and Odometer (63). 

3. COMPLETENESS OF FEET. 

130. A Catalectic verse is one that contains a foot with one or more; 
syllables wanting; as, — 

Life is | but an | empty | dream —^- (63). 

131. A Hy per catalectic verse is one that contains a foot with one or 
more syllables too many; as, — 

From Greeu | land's I | cy mount aim. 

4. SIMILARITY OF SOUNDS. 

132. Bhyme is similarity of sound in the words at the end of two or 
more verses, near the middle and at the end of the same verse, or at certain 
intervals in the verse; as, — 

I sift the snow on the mountains below. 
Then up with your cup, till 3-011 stagger in speech, 
And match me this catch, though you swagger and screech. — Scott. 
Note 1. — Similarity of sound at the beginning of words near each 
other is called Alliteration (Composition, 238); as. T^ull/athoms/ive thy 
/ather lies. 

Note 2 — Observe that the rhyming lines of! en begin the same distance 
from tne margin; hence the irregularity on the left side when the rhymes 
are not in consecutive lines (69, 70). 

133. Blank Verse is without rhyme; as,— 

For Murder, though it have no tongue, will speak 
With most miraculous organ. — Shakespeare (tf 4). 

5. STANZAS 

134. A Stanza is a certain number of lines taken together. The mosl 
common varieties of stanzas are illustrated in 65-73. After studying 56- 
63 the peculiarity of each will be easily seen. 



VI. KINDS OF PROSE. 

135. A History is a narrative of events in which more than one 
person is implicated. Chronicle* AnvaJs Narration, 7 

* The different forms w: uh each assumes ;ue in Itnlics. 



56 PltAOTICAL ENGLISH. 

136. A Biography is a narrative of the events in the life of an indi- 
vidual. Autobiography , Memoir. 

137. A Description is a portrayal of something existing in space. 

138. A Booh of Travels is a narration of the events of a traveler's 
experience, and a description of the objects seen by him. 

139. A Letter is a written communication from one person to 
another. It may involve any one or all of the kinds of composition. Note. 

140. A Critique is a composition which sets forth the merits or de- 
fects of some literary work. Review. 

141. An Essay is a brief and somewhat informal composition 
generally designed to set forth one's own views on a subject. Dissertation. 

142. A Treatise is a systematic composition setting forth the 
principle of some subject. Tract. 

143. A Discourse is a composition (not necessarily written) intended 
to be delivered. Sermon, Lecture, Speech, Oration. Address. 

144. Fiction is a composition dealing with imaginary things and 
events. It may contain all the kinds of prose enumerated above. Romance, 
Tale, Story, Novel. 



VII, KINDS OF POETRY. 

145. A Narrative poem is one that recites some event, either real or 
imaginary. Ballad, Metrical Romance, Metrical Tale, Epic. 

146. A Descriptive poem is one that describes something either real 
or imaginary. Pastoral. 

147. A Didactic poem is one that is designed to instruct, criticise, or 
amuse. Satire, Humor. 

148. A Lyric poem is one that expresses the emotions of the poet 
and may be suitable for music. Song, Sonnet, Elegy, Ode. 

149. A Dramatic poem is one in the form of a dialogue. It may 
contain ail the kinds enumerated above. Comedy, Tragedy, Melodrama, 
Farce - 

150. Note. — Examples of the several Kinds of Prose and Poetry can 
not be given in a single volume. Most of them may be found in any well 
selected library. 






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